Crews working on roof send sparks flying into Elizabeth Forward High School classroom
Some Elizabeth Forward High School students said they had quite the scare on Thursday when sparks started flying in their classroom.
The incident happened as crews were working on an ongoing construction project on the roof of the school.
"We heard a grinding noise in the class. They were cutting out the HVAC system, and sparks were flying throughout the classroom," a student told KDKA-TV.
Video taken by students in the class shows sparks coming from the ceiling and flying into the room.
"Sparks were flying for at least five minutes onto papers," a student said.
Students also said their teacher had to remove a chemical used for class from a nearby cabinet. They told KDKA-TV that around 20 students were in the classroom for an environmental science class.
They said they were evacuated after about five minutes.
One of the students who took a video of the incident told KDKA-TV that school administration later approached them, asking them to delete the video from their phone. That student said administrators told them it was "safe" and the crews working were "trained professionals."
"To say we weren't in danger, we were. Sparks catch things on fire. It's ridiculous," the student said.
The district sent a letter home to parents on Thursday to inform them of the incident, saying, "As you are all aware, our building is currently undergoing a major construction project. During the day, there is active construction taking place, and part of this construction activity involves the roof being replaced. This morning, on the second floor, a teacher noticed a grinding noise coming from the ceiling. The teacher noticed sparks and immediately evacuated the classroom."
A spokesperson told KDKA-TV that repairs are part of the ongoing project after the building caught fire in 2023. They said crews were working in an area they shouldn't have been.
The district went on to say, "The issue has been addressed with our subcontractor and our maintenance staff inspected the area. Thanks to the action of our staff, students were not in danger."
A spokesperson told KDKA-TV that no injuries were reported.
