IHS to complete fire cleanup by Wednesday
Published 2:45 pm Friday, July 30, 2010
Isabella High School principal Ricky Porter toured his building Friday morning to inspect the cleanup of damage caused by an electrical fire June 5.
Porter said SERVPRO, the company handling the clean-up, is nearly finished and hopes to conclude by Wednesday morning. The crew is bringing back in several previously damaged computers and projectors that were sent off for special cleaning.
Porter said the crew will spend the weekend stripping and waxing floors, which should be finished Monday. They will spend Tuesday and Wednesday, if needed, to put desks back into the classrooms.
“They hope to be out by the time teachers get back next Wednesday,” Porter said. “They will be working all weekend long.”
Porter said damaged the computers, projectors and other electronics have been cleaned but must be reconnected by technical consultant Roy Martin next week, which should be the final step in the near-two month cleanup.
Porter also said the cleanup should be finished by the time IHS student return for the start of the fall semester. He said they were hoping to finish before teachers returned, but delays prevented that.
“I’m just glad it’s not going to delay or disrupt the start of school,” Porter said. “We really wished it would have never happened. We’re anxious and ready to get the school year started back.”
All cleanup is covered by the school’s insurance company.
A near-50-person crew was hired by an insurance agency to clean the damage caused by the fire.
The crew gutted a large part the building, which involved removing ceiling tiles, wiring and other items affected by smoke. All student desks and tables were also removed from the K-3 building to be wiped down with a special cleaning agent. Those were stored in the cafeteria.
The crew also wiped down everything in the reading room and other rooms damaged by the fire. They also cleaned salvageable items, such as books, bookcases, walls, desks and computers.
Rugs and curtains were also removed and sent off for cleaning.
SERVPRO has since spent the days reinstalling ceiling tiles, insulation, wiring and other electrical parts to the rooms. Classrooms and hallways closest to the fire were also repainted.