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Schools

Overheated Transformer Forces Early Dismissal at Shelton High

Electrical malfunction causes no damage to school; afterschool programs take place as scheduled.

An overheated electrical transformer forced an early dismissal at Thursday afternoon, but caused no damage to the school.

Headmaster Dr. Beth Smith said the transformer malfunction in the boiler room created very little smoke, but enough to activate the school fire alarm around 1:30 p.m.

However, electricians from the United Illuminating Company were at the school Thursday afternoon assessing the condition of the transformer unit, which may need to be replaced, Smith said.

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The incident was far different from the smoky blaze in a storeroom caused by a workman’s carelessly discarded cigarette that caused over $1 million in fire and smoke damage at the school during the Christmas vacation in December 2008.

Smith said she was at a meeting at the school system administration office when she heard about it on her walkie-talkie.

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Since it was close to the normal dismissal time, school officials ordered buses to meet students at a staging area out of the way of emergency personnel and vehicles that responded to the emergency call, and students were dismissed at the normal time.

Smith said all after-school activities, athletic events and ticket sales for the June 4 Prom would take place as normally scheduled.

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