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SANDY — Union Middle School will be closed until Monday as crews clean up a fire that destroyed a classroom early Thursday.
The fire was reported about 5 a.m. in a sixth-grade social studies classroom at the school, 615 E. 8000 South. The school was not open and no one was in the room at the time.
BREAKING: @canyonsdistrict says an electrical fire at Union Middle School in Sandy has canceled school for the day. Spokesman just told @kslnewsradio there was minimal damage, but they need to clear the building of smoke.
— Mary Richards (@kslmrichards) October 24, 2019
Canyons District spokesman Jeff Haney said the fire is believed to have started because of an electrical problem at a charging station in the classroom where Chromebooks are charged. The fire was contained to that classroom, but the room is a total loss, he said.
A disaster cleanup crew will be working through the weekend to clean up the school, Haney said. Then a contractor will be brought in next week to start work on rebuilding the classroom.
Haney said the district is now working with its IT department to check other Chromebook charging stations to make sure there isn’t a repeat incident at another building.
The students displaced by the fire will have class in Union’s computer lab starting Monday.
