Fire scuttles 'Peter Pan' at Larkin

A stage performance at Elgin's Larkin High School featured some unwanted special effects Saturday when a small fire broke out.

The fire caused about $7,500 damage to the theater and sent one student to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Elgin fire Capt. Dave Schmidt said.

The Visual Performing Arts Academy was nearing the end of its production of "Peter Pan" just before 4 p.m. when the curtain closed unexpectedly.

"We could all smell something different in the auditorium," said audience member Dave Tonge of Elgin.

At first, some thought the smell might be a residual from artificial smoke that had been used earlier in the production, Tonge said, "but this was a different, pungent odor."

At that point dance director Kelly Hill came on stage to announce to the audience of about 300 that there was a fire and everyone should evacuate. The fire alarm went off just as she was making her announcement.

"We smelled something and it was one of the curtains and we don't really know anything besides that," Hill said Saturday evening.

Tonge said the crowd was orderly and left through the auditorium's back and side exits.

The 35 cast and crew members also left immediately - many still in costume.

One student was taken to St. Joseph Hospital, Schmidt said.

He credited the school's staff for the orderly evacuation.

"They were calm, cool and collected and it made our job a whole lot easier," he said.

The fire was under control within seven minutes of the department's arrival. While it was contained to the curtain, Schmidt said there was extensive smoke damage to the stage and auditorium.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.