GORHAM – Smoke from a malfunctioning heat pump on March 14 emptied Gorham Middle School, disrupting parent-teacher conferences.
Regular classes at Gorham Middle School were not in session that day. Susie Hanley, vice principal, said at the scene that 27 teachers and 35 families were in the building for the conferences.
The heat pump issue about 8:30 a.m. on Friday emitted smoke into the sixth grade wing in the school.
“We evacuated the building,” Hanley said.
“It appears that one of the heat pumps used to heat and cool our building had seized, overheated and caught fire,” Principal Robert Riley wrote notifying parents. “All of the teachers and parents who were present and attending conferences at the time evacuated the building in a very orderly fashion and in good time.”
“There was a substantial amount of smoke in the building,” Ken Fickett, deputy Gorham fire chief, said.
Mechanical personnel were at the school on Friday. “It was the fan motor to the heat pump that failed,” Norm Justice, director of Facilities Management for Gorham Schools, said on Tuesday. “(A) technician just arrived this morning with replacement fan motor. Fan motors typically run $600 to $700 to replace.”
Riley praised Gorham firefighters for their fast response. He thanked parents and students who were in the school for their “calm manner in which they all evacuated the building” and he lauded the faculty.
On Tuesday, Riley said the building did not sustain any damage other than the heat pump.
“We were able to re-enter the building around 10:30, however, we had already canceled the remainder of the day and sent parents and teachers home.”
The Westbrook Fire Department also responded to the incident.
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