A fire Wednesday morning left the Foster School gym unusable.
Some type of electrical problem with the incoming electrical service caused a short and a fire, Fire Chief Mike Beaver said. The fire was mainly confined to an exterior wall and attic space.
Some stored items were damaged by the smoke and heat, Chief Beaver said. The gymnasium itself had one small spot where the fire burned through.
School District 55 is finding the damage is more extensive than it first appeared, Supt. Larry Horton said. The gym will not be used until it everything is working and safe.
When the gym will be safe to use again depends on when the district can get a contractor in to repair the damage, Supt. Horton said. Insurance companies for the district, Pacific Power and the contractor who installed the gym siding are discussing responsibility for the repairs.
The fire was noticed and initially reported by Angie Yon’s class, which was using the gym when the fire started.
At about 10:14 on Saturday, firefighters responded to 1318 40th Ave. to find the top floor of the home in flames.
The fire was contained in the second floor and attic space, Chief Beaver said. The upstairs area, which consisted of one bedroom, was destroyed. The bottom floor suffered water damage.
Ethel Ellis is the owner of the home, which was rented to Michael Pappadis and Sandra Schatz, who were home at the time.
The fire was started by smoker’s carelessness, Chief Beaver said. A cigarette in the bed caused the fire. Pappadis tried to put the fire out, but it got too big.