Materials being used to install a wood floor are to blame for a massive fire that gutted an east side charter school Thursday night, authorities said.
Compass High School, which is the sole tenant in a strip mall in the 8200 block of East 22nd Street at South Sarnoff Drive, is still scheduled to begin classes Monday, a school official said.
The two-alarm fire, which took nearly three hours to get under control, consumed nearly half the school, and sent flames and black smoke into the evening sky. Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman Capt. Tricia Tracy said the blaze was likely started by flammable materials such as paint, floor finishes or adhesives, materials that are meant only to be used in well-ventilated areas.
Officials estimated the damage at $1.7 million to the building and $200,000 to the contents. Firefighters were able to save a computer server that stored school files.
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The Fire Department called out a second alarm to bring in additional personnel and equipment to battle the fire. More than 60 firefighters worked the blaze, which was reported at 6:34 p.m.
The fire illuminated the night sky as ladder trucks poured water down from above and firefighters on the ground used axes to break holes into walls to gain access to the flames.
The fire was under control at about 9:15 p.m.
Mike Ferguson, Compass assistant principal, said it appeared several classrooms, the school office and a main gathering space were destroyed. The school's dance studio and photography lab also were likely destroyed, he said.
Parts of the school were not affected, he said.
He said the school was planning to begin classes as scheduled Monday. The high school will look at using portable buildings and finding off-site space to use for the immediate future, Ferguson said.
Arron Childress was upset as he stood outside his school. The 18-year-old senior said he's planning to graduate this year.
"I'm shocked. It's crazy," Childress said. He said he was glad to hear the school was planning to open Monday.
"It's the only school I've liked," said Childress, who has attended several high schools. He even had a job there cleaning rooms.
There were several people in the school when the fire started, but no injuries were reported.
Compass, which offers traditional classes along with a variety of vocational-education courses, has about 500 students, Ferguson said.
Student Jodi Franklin, 15, stood watching the fire. She is preparing to enter the 10th grade.
Franklin said she attended the school since last year and liked it because teachers allow her to work at her own pace. Seeing her school burn was "baffling," Franklin said.
On StarNet: To see more photos from Star photographers, go to azstarnet.com/gallery
Contact reporter Jamar Younger at jyounger@azstarnet.com or 573-4115. Contact reporter Brian J. Pedersen at bjp@azstarnet.com or 573-4224.
