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District review finds degraded heat‑trace wiring sparked middle‑school ceiling fire; upgrades planned
Summary
A Jan. 21 fire in the Springfield Township Middle School ceiling was caused by degraded heat‑trace wiring on a rooftop HVAC unit, officials told the property committee. The district will replace and upgrade heat‑trace systems, review breaker protection and bring remaining rooftop units to code.
Springfield Township SD property committee members heard on March 25 that a Jan. 21 fire in the middle school cafeteria was caused by degraded heat‑trace wiring on a rooftop HVAC unit and that district and consultant teams will replace and upgrade the affected systems.
The district’s presentation said the fire started in the ceiling above the cafeteria where heat‑trace tape protecting exposed piping had worn and arced. “The degradation of that jacket is what really caused that flame to spark,” said Mr. Watley, who presented the investigation findings and recommended corrections.
Why it matters: the cafeteria ceiling was exposed for…
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