Kiln Causes Fire Alarm; Students Happy to Miss Class

Originally published Friday, May 23, 2025, Quarter 4 issue

On Tuesday, May 6, a fire alarm sounded throughout the school. The heat from the kiln near the art room caused the sprinkler system to go off due to a malfunction in a sprinkler. The sprinkler system automatically set off the alarm and called the Hopkins Police and Fire Department. The sprinklers also caused severe damage in and around the art room. Students spent the majority of the day outside on the turf field until they were dismissed at 12:00.

9:45

At around 9:45, during students’ B-period class, the fire alarm sounded. The classes stopped, and students and teachers went outside to the south parking lot and got in line by advisory, as they had practiced during multiple fire drills the past year. The lower school did the same.

Neither students nor teachers knew much about what was happening. Some thought it was a drill.

Soon after the alarm went off, a Hopkins fire engine arrived at the school. A police car soon followed.

Around 10:00

After spending around 15 minutes in the south parking lot, administrators decided that the middle school students should move from the parking lot to the turf field. They went through the building where the doors to the Upper Elementary and Middle School were shut.

After reaching the turf field, rumors had started to travel about the cause of the drill, although most weren’t worried. Many students viewed the time as extra recess, an excuse to miss classes they didn’t like.

Many students were happy to skip their next class, with one student missing a science test.

“I feel like we should get more information,” one 8th-grade student said.

Catherine Smith, a seventh grader, was worried about the damage the sprinkler system caused on the art room. “[The] art room’s very expensive,” she said.

Ms. Jennifer Nunez said she’s “glad it’s not January.” Many students and teachers agreed that the event proved that Blake would be able to handle something bigger.

Mrs. Maelene Krig commented on how flexible both the students and teachers were, given that the fire alarm interrupted many tests and other lesson plans.

Soon after the incident, the school called Servicemaster to clear out the flooding that had begun in and near the art room.