Construction work may be to blame for fires that broke out at two schools in Sherman Oaks and North Hollywood about three miles apart Thursday night, authorities said.
Firefighters arrived at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks at 9:29 p.m. and discovered flames and smoke coming from the roof of St. Andre Bessette Hall, where crews had been working earlier in the day. About 38 firefighters extinguished the flames by 9:49 p.m.
“Earlier in the day, they were doing roof work and some roofing materials, like tar, need to be heated in order for things to stick,” said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz.
The fire damaged the roof and exterior wall of the two-story building at 13645 W. Riverside Drive. No injuries were reported.
“Thanks to the quick response of our sanitation and security teams, everyone was quickly evacuated and no one was injured,” Notre Dame High School President Rob Thomas said on Instagram.
A second fire just three miles east of the private Catholic school was reported around 11:23 p.m. at Oakwood Secondary School in North Hollywood. Lantz said firefighters arrived to a “much smaller” fire with light smoke in one of the offices in the school building at 11600 Magnolia Blvd.
Firefighters extinguished the flames at 11:47 p.m.
“There was welding work going on at the school during the day, so it’s possible there was heated wood that never cooled properly,” Lantz said.
While both fires appear to be construction-related and do not appear to be linked, Lantz said, both remain under investigation.
All operations at Notre Dame High School will continue as normal on Friday, Thomas said.
“We are grateful for the brave and quick response of our firefighters, who were able to contain the fire quickly and with minimal damage,” he said.
