Flood shuts Lynn school

LYNN – Students at the Sewell-Anderson School are enjoying a three-day weekend after a frozen sprinkler head burst, flooding the second and third floors of the Ontario Street elementary school.”Most of the ceiling on the third floor has collapsed,” said Inspectional Services Director Michael Donovan Sunday. “No one was hurt, the kids were out of the building by the time that happened.”Donovan said the fire alarm sounded about 1 p.m. Friday after the sprinkler head located in the eaves above the kitchen let go. He said anytime water flows through the system the alarm automatically sounds. Firefighters arrived within minutes but it was still enough time for 1,000 gallons or more of water to flow throughout the second and third floor, he said.Ceiling tiles soaked with water gave way on the third floor. Donovan said most of the water was cleaned up by Friday evening but much of the drywall could not be saved. Had the drywall been put up in a single layer they would have likely been able to dry it out but that was not the case, Donovan said.”It’s double layer sheet rock,” he said. “We had to cut out the bottom two feet on the third and second floors.”The sheet rock on the walls just below the actual break were completely removed, Donovan said. There have also been minor electrical issues and lights and wires that had to be moved to allow for the walls to be repaired.Donovan said a structural engineer has already come in to look at the damage to the gym floor and a hygienist is on hand tell officials what has to go and what can be saved. The water damaged a lot of books and other materials along with the walls, he added.The work won’t be finished for several weeks but Donovan said students would return to school Tuesday.”We’ll be there at least two weeks,” he said. “We’ll do 12 hours Monday but we will not work when school is in session.”Desks and other salvageable material have been relocated to the first floor where space was made to temporarily accommodate teachers and students, Donovan said.”It’s a very unfortunate incident,” he said. “Unfortunate? but not the first time it’s happened. It happened at Classical in ’09 too.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].