Fire At Montessori School In Bloomfield; No Foul Play (UPDATED)

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A small fire broke out at Rainbow Montessori School in Bloomfield on Thursday morning. Nobody was injured, authorities said.

The fire started in a drop-ceiling of a bathroom at the school, which is located at 1293 Broad Street, a Bloomfield township spokesperson said.

Three Bloomfield Fire Department engines and a truck responded to the scene after getting the alarm at 10:35 a.m., arriving within minutes to assist with evacuating students and school personnel.

There was no damage beyond the drop-ceiling area in the bathroom, and no foul play was suspected, authorities said.

Officials gave an update at 2:52 p.m., stating that the fire was quickly extinguished and the building was allowed to reopen within hours.

“The fire originated in the drop-ceiling of a bathroom, and was contained to that space thanks to the quick response and professionalism of our firefighters,” Fire Chief Louis Venezia said. “Students and teachers were allowed to reenter the building at approximately noon, once our teams had thoroughly combed the school to ensure there was no structural damage or remaining smoke.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though it is believed to be accidental in nature, officials said.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Bloomfield Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com