Students at Bethel Regional High School (BRHS) evacuated to a nearby building on Oct. 16 after a fire broke out in a girls’ bathroom near the gymnasium sometime that afternoon.
The Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) did not report any injuries to students or adverse effects from smoke inhalation. But according to LKSD Superintendent Andrew “Hannibal” Anderson, a maintenance person was taken to the hospital to be checked for smoke exposure and was released a short time later.
Anderson said that the bathroom fire was started by a student, and that the Bethel Police Department and Bethel Fire Department are investigating the matter.
Students were released early from BRHS because of the fire on Oct. 16, causing other Bethel schools to have a delayed release, according to a Facebook post from the school.
According to another Facebook post, BRHS was planning on resuming normal operations on Oct. 17.