Skyline High School Fire Traced To Appliance Near Gymnasium

SAMMAMISH, WA - Eastside Fire and Rescue has confirmed that a laundry dryer was the cause of a Tuesday fire event at Skyline High School.

The fire broke out Tuesday at around 1 p.m. near the gymnasium in a laundry facility used to wash athletic gear. Eastside Fire Community Liaison Officer Capt. Steve Westlake said a dryer started smoking, which set off fire alarms throughout the whole school.

By the time the fire department found the source of the smoke, Westlake said, the dryer had stopped, and the fire was out.

"The damage was confined to the dryer itself," Westlake said. "There wasn't even any smoke damage in the room."

The smoke did filter through the ventilation system and entered the gymnasium, but no one was injured in the fire. Since smoke alarms throughout the school were triggered, all students and staff were evacuated outside the building. It was raining at the time of the fire, so firefighters moved everyone into an unaffected wing on the north side of the building.

According to the Issaquah School District, the fire did not affect operations at the school, and all classes went as scheduled on Wednesday.

Image via Issaquah School District