Small fire breaks out at Creekside Middle School in Woodstock

A light fixture caught fire late Wednesday in the Creekside Middle School teachers lounge in Woodstock.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District was called out to the school at 3201 Hercules Road about 9 p.m. for a reported structure fire, Woodstock Fire/Rescue District public information officer Alex Vucha said.

“Initial reports indicated a possible electrical fire in the teachers lounge, with callers stating they saw flames coming from a light fixture,” Vucha said.

Firefighters arrived to find no visible fire from the outside as the building was being evacuated. There was a basketball practice going on at the time, Vucha said.

Fire crews entered the building and found “substantial smoke coming from the teachers lounge” next to the main entrance to the building, Vucha said. Staff had shut off electricity.

Firefighters found the source to be “a pendant-style light fixture,” Vucha said. The building was ventilated to clear smoke that had made its way through the school.

Because the building had “limited occupancy” due to it being after hours, “the incident was managed without injuries, damage or further complications,” Vucha said.

Woodstock School District 200 spokesperson Kevin Lyons said there was no damage or impact to the school day resulting from the fire. A maintenance person discovered the fire and called for assistance.