District review finds degraded heat‑trace wiring sparked middle‑school ceiling fire; upgrades planned

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 construction, which staff said allowed earlier detection and a quicker response that limited damage and prevented injuries. Fire personnel were dispatched at 3:25 p.m.; staff reported the fire was under control by 3:58 p.m., and students were evacuated and reunified at the high school.

Investigation and recommendations: the district reported it conducted on‑site interviews, reviewed camera timestamps and involved electrical and HVAC consultants. Key recommendations include replacing the existing heat‑trace systems with UL‑approved heat‑trace tape installed to current code, adding temperature controllers and ensuring appropriate breaker and protective-device configurations. Staff said they will evaluate all heat‑trace circuits for compliance and upgrade breaker protections where required.

Consultant Doug Taylor said the firm will assess rooftop units districtwide and help the district use a web‑based capital planning tool, CIP 360, to manage project scopes and costs. He said only the middle school currently has the older heat‑trace configuration of concern; the district identified about 45 rooftop units overall but limited the immediate corrective work to the middle‑school units that used the vulnerable installation.

Next steps: staff will obtain cost estimates and present any work requiring board approval. The district has disconnected the damaged rooftop unit; a separate unit is temporarily serving the gym. The insurance adjuster’s decision on repair versus replacement will inform the final work plan.

Public reaction and access issues: a resident, Marielle Marsh of Orland, told the committee she was delayed 40 minutes in the virtual waiting room and could not hear the meeting well. Marsh also said she has repeatedly reported construction‑site safety hazards and urged the district to take remediations more seriously. The district said it will continue follow‑up and bring a detailed cost plan back to the committee.