A small fire broke out on Dec. 1 at Miller Elementary School, giving 503 students an extended Thanksgiving break. The fire was caused by a lithium battery explosion in a classroom, according to school officials. It then spread to the physical education area, triggering the school’s sprinkler system. As classrooms dried and repairs were completed, students enjoyed an additional two extra days off of school after the holiday break.

One of the first to be alerted of the fire was Miller’s vice principal, John Craft. He explains that while some classes have been impacted, the overall damage wasn’t too significant.

“We have had some scheduling changes with our PE teacher, moving classes outside and our music teacher moving to a classroom because their rooms have not been cleared,” said Craft.

Students missed school Monday and Tuesday before returning mid-week. Some lingering issues such as odors, electrical outages and other minor safety concerns are still prevalent in the building. Because of these issues, Miller has relocated breakfast, lunch and gym classes.

“Central Oregon Disaster Restoration began restoration work on Monday, Dec. 1. We began measuring air quality on Monday and have continued to monitor since,” said Craft.