Safe fire evacuation at Pleasanton elementary school

PLEASANTON -- A small fire forced the evacuation of Hearst Elementary School this morning.

"I commend our students and staff -- they were amazing," said Principal Michael Kuhfal, adding that the school's more than 700 students were safely evacuated and accounted for in less than two and a half minutes.

The fire was reported on the roof of the school's multi-purpose room at 9:54 a.m.

Roofers and workers installing solar panels were on the roof at the time. A torch used to adhere some of the materials touched off the fire, said Battalion Chief Joe Testa of Livermore-Pleasanton Fire .

"They carry extinguishers with them on the roof" and the workers put the fire out by themselves momentarily," Testa said. However, the one-foot square fire had smoldered for a while and touched off the fire alarm, he said.

Smoke from the fire was also visible, he said.

Testa said the students were out of their classrooms for about 15 to 20 minutes. There were no reports of injuries.

There was no structural damage so the school can continue to use the multi-purpose building, Kuhfal said.

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