No injuries reported following fire at Mitchell Middle School

RACINE, Wis. — A fire broke out at Mitchell Middle School in Racine, Wis., on May 28.

A physical education teacher alerted Nick Wotnoske, a school engineer, to the smell of smoke in the gymnasium.

Wotnoske went to the gymnasium, where he saw the small fire in the upper part of the stage. Wotnoske used a dry chemical extinguisher and a water extinguisher, containing the fire until Racine firefighters arrived.

Fire alarms were sounded at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Students and staff evacuated the school. Fire officials said the students were not in danger at any point during the evacuation.

First responders said when they arrived on scene, a small fire had broken out in a raised area of ​​a stage in the school's old gymnasium.

The department said Engine Companies 1, 2 and 5, Truck 1, Quint 4, MED 4, Battalion 1 and fire investigators all responded to the fire. Engine 5 was the first to arrive on scene – in less than four minutes.

Firefighters said Engine 5 ran a garden hose to the scene and was able to completely extinguish the fire.

The Racine Fire Department said its investigators are still investigating the cause of the fire, but do not suspect foul play.

Damages include an initial property loss estimate of $50,000, as well as an initial contents loss estimate of $2,500. Firefighters said damage from the fire was limited to part of the scene of the old gymnasium where the fire broke out.

Firefighters said no injuries were reported following the fire.