U-46 spends $3,500 to clean up Larsen Middle School fire

Elgin Area School District U-46 has spent about $3,500 to date in cleanup and overtime costs on the fire that damaged Larsen Middle School last Saturday, officials said.

According to Superintendent Jose Torres, crews worked throughout the weekend to clean the school's kitchen and to remove the smell of smoke that permeated the building.

The district has spent $2,000 to rent 15 air filtration units, and estimates about $1,440 in overtime costs, Torres said Tuesday.

The fire at the 665 Dundee Ave. campus was discovered around 6:20 p.m. Saturday by a passer-by who saw the school's emergency strobe lights flashing and heard an alarm, Elgin Fire Batallion Chief Terry Bruce said.

Though the fire was contained to the school's basement, the school's kitchen and one of its hallways suffered smoke damage.

The fire was caused by a malfunctioning water heater, officials said.

While the school's fire alarms blared and strobe lights flashed as a result of the blaze, Larsen's alarm system failed to notify the fire department.

Torres said the system had been checked Feb. 11 and was working. The district, he said, "is investigating what happened to ensure that it does not happen again."

Fire officials said the school sustained about $5,000 in damage.

The school reported 79 absences Monday, Principal Randall Hodges said. Students with health conditions received excused absences as a result of the fire.

Larsen's kitchen will be closed for the next several weeks.

• Daily Herald staff writer Lenore Adkins contributed to this report.