Riverdale HS briefly evacuated due to a kitchen fire in life-skills classroom

Riverdale High School normally dismisses in the early afternoon, but in today’s case, parents like Julia Wreski took no chances.

“There’s traffic behind me and traffic over here, so we’re all here probably to pick up our kids,” she said.

She heard about the small kitchen fire early Thursday morning and came to get her son.

“I’d rather it be a kitchen fire than a gun, so this is okay. I’m okay with this, just this,” said Wreski.

School administrators evacuated everyone, then returned students to the auditorium, gym or classrooms away from the scene.

“All I know is, they’re not back in class so they’re just sitting in the auditorium, so I’m just going to pick him up now because they’re not doing anything, so that’s all,” she said.

A message sent out to parents said the students had food and water, followed by:

There is no need to pick them up early, but if you wish, there is a long wait as we must follow sign out procedures for every student leaving early.

At the end of the day, Wreski says, “It just doesn’t seem like they were prepared for this.”

The fire department was on scene to clear the smoke so students could return to class.

The classroom was unoccupied at the time and no one was injured or treated.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and the cleanup continues.