Mayor Eric Enriquez City of Las Cruces | City of Las Cruces
Mayor Eric Enriquez City of Las Cruces | City of Las Cruces
Las Cruces firefighters responded to a fire at Vista Middle School on Thursday evening. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on November 7, when a fire alarm was activated at the school located on the 4400 block of Elks Drive. According to the Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority, a staff member discovered the fire inside the school, prompting a commercial structure fire response.
Firefighters arrived within five minutes and found that several occupants had already evacuated safely. The fire was contained in a bathroom and caused very minor damage. A staff member effectively used a nearby fire extinguisher to prevent the fire from spreading further, allowing firefighters to quickly extinguish it and ventilate the building.
At the time of the incident, a school event was taking place; however, authorities do not believe it was related to the cause of the fire. Investigators from Las Cruces Fire Department suspect that a mechanical or electrical malfunction in the bathroom may have ignited the blaze. Preliminary findings suggest that there was no intentional ignition.
School district safety officials promptly arrived at Vista Middle School and worked with investigators. For any questions regarding the school district's response, inquiries should be directed to Las Cruces Public Schools.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, and damage estimates are not yet available. No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.
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