Fire at Redwood City School Injures Parent, Janitor

REDWOOD CITY , CA — Fire officials said a parent suffered minor burns and a janitor had difficultly breathing following a fire Thursday afternoon in a classroom at a Redwood City elementary school.

The fire was reported at 12:55 p.m. at Sandpiper Elementary School at 801 Redwood Shores Parkway.

A parent was cooking some kind of specialty food with a portable cooking unit that she brought into the classroom when the fire started, Redwood City fire Battalion Chief Chuck Lax said.

"Redwood City Fire and Police responded and discovered a small fire in a classroom that was put out by a janitor with a fire extinguisher prior to our arrival," fire officials said in a news release.

The fire started during the school's lunch hour. Everyone was evacuated and accounted for, Lax said. No one else was injured.

Fire officials initially said he was injured from inhaling smoke but now say they're not sure whether he inhaled smoke or dust from the fire extinguisher.

"One parent was treated at the scene for minor burns and a janitor was treated for difficulty breathing," the fire department said. "Both were transported to the hospital for further treatment."

The cause of the fire is under investigation but it does not appear to be suspicious, according to fire officials.

— Bay City News Service contributed to this report / Image via Shutterstock