Parkside Junior High School in Normal was spared of any building damage after an electrical fire broke out behind the building on Wednesday morning while students were on spring break.
Unit 5 Director of Operations Joe Adelman said a neighbor heard an explosion at the school at 101 N. Parkside Road at about 5 a.m. and called the fire department. He said the main buss duct which feeds electricity to the building burned out.
“It’s a piece of equipment that’s 45 years old that’s always been maintained but I think it reached its life this time,” Adelman said.
Adelman said Corn Belt Energy crews have been on scene throughout the day to get power restored to the building.
He said the building will be ready for students to return from break next Monday.
No one was injured. Adelman said the official cause of the fire is under investigation. He said it was too soon to know a cost estimate for the damage.
He added the replacement buss duct will be better protected from the elements.
“This piece of equipment will be enclosed and it won’t have to deal with the weather like this one did 45 years ago and the wire will be run underground,” Adelman said.
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