Akron’s Ellet High School will reopen Wednesday, after being closed for two days following a weekend fire.
Work crews constructed containment walls Tuesday morning around the area damaged by fire.
District spokesman Mark Williamson said that the temporary walls would allow clean-up and repair work to continue.
“We can accomplish two things at once this way and not have to rush the cleanup repair or keep students out for an extended time,” Williamson said in the email.
School officials made the decision Tuesday afternoon to reopen the school to students.
The fire damaged the southeast portion of the school where the construction program is housed.
Cleanup crews spent hours at the school on Monday, clearing standing water and a smoke odor that permeated much of the building on Woolf Avenue.
Akron firefighters responded to a fire alarm in the building about 11 p.m. Saturday. They found light smoke filling the hallways, located the fire and extinguished it within an hour.
The fire is believed to have started in the construction program’s building maintenance office. The program is part of the district’s Career Technical Education curriculum.
Because of the size of the building, the fire was elevated to a second alarm, which doubled the response to four fire engines and two ladder trucks. Firefighters also used a system on one of the trucks to ventilate the building before leaving the scene.
Akron Fire Lt. Sierjie Lash said Monday that investigators are working to determine the cause and origin of the fire but do not suspect arson. The fire caused an undetermined amount of damage and no injuries were reported.
A video showing some of the work that has been done to get the high school ready for Wednesday’s opening can be found at http://akronschools.com.