Quick Response By City Firefighters Contain Potential Fire At Doniphan R-I Middle School

A faulty overhead electrical wire at the Doniphan R-I Middle School Tuesday afternoon could have resulted in the loss of the building, but was quickly extinguished by the Doniphan Fire Department, assisted by volunteers from several local rural firefighters.

The crews were galvanized into action at just before 1:30 p.m., when a call came through Doniphan Dispatch that one of the teachers had first smelled what she believed to be "hot wires" and then could see smoke coming through ceiling tiles in one of the sixth grade classrooms.

The students were evacuated from the structure and the electricity was shut off.

Doniphan Fire Chief Brian Byrd commented that "Things could have been much worse." Firefighters were grateful the issue presented itself during the day, at a time that it would be quickly noticed, rather than next week when campus will be closed for Spring break.