STHS teachers extinguish fire on campus

South Tahoe High instructors Whitney Pomeroy and Melissa Berry on Aug. 29 prove they can do more than teach when they put out a fire on campus. Photo/Provided

Three South Tahoe High School teachers are being credited with putting the kibosh on a fire on campus this afternoon.

The first day of school is often full of surprises, but this took it to a new level.

“By the time we got there the active flame was suppressed. They did a pretty good job,” Battalion Chief Tim Spencer told Lake Tahoe News.

Teachers Lori Buchan, Whitney Pomeroy and Melissa Berry saw smoke, called 911, tried kicking dirt on the flames, and then grabbed fire extinguishers from inside the school to put out the fire.

About a 15 by 40 foot swath of land burned to the south of the front of the school on Aug. 29. The nearest structure was about 30 yards away. Underbrush and pine needles were charred.

“Keep in mind we don’t know the actual cause. If it was a discarded smoking material, and that is possible — we aren’t ruling anything out, a word of caution that it is extremely, extremely dry out,” Spencer said. “We are still in fire season, with high temperatures, low humidity and we are very susceptible to a wildfire right now.”

— Lake Tahoe News staff report