Small fire won’t delay opening of new school

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MINOOKA – A small fire at Minooka’s new intermediate school won’t push back the opening date.
A unit ventilator was the only item destroyed when what is believed to be an acetylene torch started the fire on Monday, June 15.

“We are waiting for insurance to approve it for clean up,” Sam Rhea of Gilbaine Construction said. “It’s currently under investigation.”

Al Gegenheimer, superintendent of Minooka Consolidated Grade School District 201, said the school’s insurance adjuster was out right away and said it was OK to start looking for someone for the clean up.
Rhea said luck was on their side when the fire started.

“We were fortunate the windows were open, so the smoke, which was generated from the plastic cart burning, was able to exit without doing more smoke damage to the inside,” Rhea said. “There was concrete above the fire and no one was hurt.”

Rhea reported the building site superintendent tried to extinguish the fire with an extinguisher, but was not successful. He exited the building with the rest of the employees until the Minooka Fire Department could respond.

“I expected to go over and see smoke damage to the outside brick surrounding the window,” Gegenheimer said. “The rain has cleaned up most of it already.”

In addition to the unit ventilator needing to be replaced, the district was told the six windows in the room with the fire may need replacing due to the heat.

“The room affected was one of the four science labs,” Gegenheimer said. “We only intend to staff three of those rooms, so this room will be the extra.”

The fire is just one of the issues that has plagued the building at the new intermediate school and Jones School, the new grade school.

Rain and humidity have created issues on each site, both with runoff in the yard area and with the work that can be done inside.

“Our next push is to get the air conditioning running,” Rhea said. “We have to get the humidity out of the buildings so we can complete some of the work.”

He said the air conditioning was scheduled to go on at Jones School on Wednesday and would be on by the end of next week at the intermediate school.

While the schools will be opening on time at the end of August, the gyms won’t be finished and ready until the end of September due to the rain and humidity.

“The intramural sports at the intermediate school will go to another school’s gym,” said Gegenheimer. “Physical education will take place outside. The weather is perfect at that time of year to get the kids outside for a game of baseball or basketball on the playground.”

Rhea also reported windows are in at the new Minooka Intermediate School and Jones School, but still need to be put in at Minooka Elementary school, where an addition is being constructed.

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