A quiet Monday morning at Match Community Day Charter Public School in Hyde Park turned smoky when a storage shed behind the campus burned to the ground while summer programming was underway.
An IT worker inside one of the school buildings spotted smoke and called it in, bringing emergency crews to the scene at around 11 a.m. Boston fire officials said no students or staff were hurt, and school leaders kept summer programming running on schedule.
The eight-by-16-foot shed was packed with school supplies and gym gear, including barbells and a basketball net. Officials estimate roughly $50,000 in damage, according to WHDH. "It was pretty much just smoking," Boston Fire Lt. Jeffrey Clark told the station, describing what firefighters found.
The Boston Fire Department said investigators are using an arson dog and nearby security-camera footage to figure out what sparked the blaze. In a message to families, a school spokesperson stressed that the incident "did not affect students or staff in any way" and that programming continued as planned.
Investigation and neighborhood context
Fire officials say investigators have gone over the scene with a canine unit and are reviewing video but have not yet identified a cause. Hyde Park has seen other major fire responses this year, including a large March blaze covered in Flames Rip Through Hyde Park Roof. For general information about the school, see the Match Community Day campus page.
Authorities said they plan to release more details after they finish reviewing camera footage and interviewing witnesses. This story will be updated when officials provide additional information.
