Fire reported at Fort Myers High School

Published: Updated:

Crews responded to the scene of a fire at Fort Myers High School after neighbors reported visible flames coming from the gym’s roof.

The incident happened Tuesday evening around 7 p.m.

As soon as crews from the Fort Myers Fire Department arrived, they used ladders to get onto the roof.

Fort Myers Fire Department Chief Tracy McMillion said the fire might have started from a hot ember on the roof.

The specific cause is still under investigation. The roof was undergoing repairs earlier in the day.

“Very easily that could have spread when you start looking at roofs like this that have all the types of tar and components that make up this type of roof, very flammable,” said McMillion. “It could have definitely run the whole course of this gym, and the school would have been out, you know, without a gym, so thank God for the neighbors.”

A nearby neighbor reported the fire around 7 p.m., having seen flames from the top of the gym. This prompted calls to the authorities that would help prevent the fire from spreading into the gymnasium.

Within minutes, the fire was extinguished with multiple fire extinguishers from the roof. Additional crews entered the gym to ensure there was no further extension.

The scene was large, blocking off a significant portion of Cortez Boulevard as crews worked to extinguish the flames.

Thankfully, no one was inside the school at the time, and no injuries were reported.

The School District of Lee County released a statement Tuesday night that read as follows:

Earlier this evening, a fire broke out on the roof of the Fort Myers High School gymnasium. Thankfully, no students or staff were in the building at the time, and no injuries have been reported. The fire has since been extinguished by the Fort Myers Fire Department. We thank our school staff that was in attendance nearby at the softball field who quickly reported the incident.

The school district assured parents via voicemail that classes will continue as scheduled on Wednesday.

Click here for the video FMFD released regarding the incident.

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