Fire Shuts Down Palos Heights School [Updated]

PALOS HEIGHTS, IL -- Fourth and fifth grade students displaced by a fire early Monday morning at Navajo Heights School in Palos Heights will remain at other Dist. 128 schools for the remainder of the week. A custodian reported a fire around 6:40 a.m. There were no students in the building when the fire broke out.

Navajo Heights, located at 12401 S. Oak Park Ave. in Palos Heights, provides instruction and programs for the fourth and fifth grades. Fourth-graders were routed to Chippewa Elementary School, where they had classes on Monday. Fifth-graders were sent to Independence Junior High School. The students will remain at their respective locations for the remainder of the week. Students will follow the bell schedule of both schools. For more details, including bus schedules, visit the D128 website.

Chief Tim Sarhage, of the Palos Heights Fire Department, said the blaze was contained to one classroom, but caused heavy smoke damage in the wing of the building where the fire was located. The fire was struck in about 30 minutes. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but officials have said the fire does not appear to be suspicious in nature. The Illinois State Fire Marshal is investigating.

“The fire was out relatively quickly in about thirty minutes” Sarhge said. “We’re working with the school to get to it up and running again. There is lots of clean up to do, custodians are waiting to get in there and start cleaning.”

Palos Heights fire crews remained at the building Monday afternoon assessing the damage and ensuring that the school is safe for staff and students. The district is currently getting materials teachers need to continue instruction at their off-site locations, which have plenty of space to accommodate the displaced Navajo Heights students.