A fire broke out Monday Sept. 2nd in Lake Oswego Highschool’s east gym. Faulty electrical equipment caused a fuse to blow and it sparked a fire in the press box. Luckily, no one was hurt during the fire because it happened after hours, but the local sports teams have been heavily affected. The Lifetime classes and P.E. classes also have to use the other gym or stay outside says the P.E. teacher Diane Lavender.

            “I was woken up at 11:30 p.m. when the phone rang with news of the fire. I rushed to the school to see flames shooting out of the gym windows. I was thankful school was not in session,” Lake Oswego High school Principle Bruce Plato said. The gym has been closed and all teams have to practice in the west gym now until the east gym is repaired.

“We are conducting an investigation to see why the electrical system shorted out. It will help ensure that the same thing doesn’t happen in another part of the school,” said Plato.“There are two possible scenarios for how this happened. One, we had new wiring done this summer and the company did not do a good job or two, a mouse chewed through a wire starting the spark,” Plato explained.

“Considering the entire structure is made out of wood, it was a disaster waiting to happen,” said LO fire marshal James Smith. “I will be conducting weekly drills at LO because of this incident,” Smith said. “I could have predicted this happening because no one at LO takes fire prevention seriously,” Smith declared.

Smoke damage to the gym was substantial and the gym walls and writings will have to be repainted. Also the bleachers were severely burned so new ones will need to be bought. “Luckily the new gym is still operational,” Plato said.

“We have a clean up crew working round the clock to get the gym ready for construction,” head custodian Jeff Proctor said.  “The most difficult part is washing the walls, and getting rid of the smell,” Proctor said.