A fire broke out in a classroom at Ranch View Middle School in Highlands Ranch on Tuesday, sending students evacuating safely as crews raced to put out the flames and clear smoke from the building. South Metro Fire Rescue crews had the blaze at 1731 W. Wildcat Reserve Parkway under control in a little over 20 minutes, and no injuries were reported.
Firefighters were dispatched around 1:05 p.m. and quickly brought the flames under control, according to CBS Colorado. The outlet reports that building occupants got out safely and that the fire department was still working on a plan to clear smoke from the building afterward. The SMFR Fire Marshal's Office identified the cause as an electrical malfunction in a light fixture inside an unoccupied classroom, per the same report.
South Metro Fire Rescue's Station 20 opened in March 2021 to help cut emergency response times across south Highlands Ranch, according to Adolfson & Peterson Construction.
Students Relocated to Neighboring High School
With the building affected, Douglas County School District moved Ranch View students to ThunderRidge High School. A district spokesperson said parents could pick up their children at any time, with the middle school's administrative team stationed in ThunderRidge's west side parking lot to help with reunification.
The district advised families to be patient, noting both schools would dismiss in the same area and that traffic would be heavier than usual as a result. Students were told they could retrieve their belongings once dismissed, and buses were scheduled to run as normal despite the disruption. After-school activities were set to continue as planned, and classes were expected to resume at Ranch View on Wednesday.
The combined Ranch View Middle School/ThunderRidge High School campus opened in 1996, according to the Highlands Ranch Historical Society. Students evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported, per a True Crime Bulletin report, which also noted that the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and South Metro Fire Rescue were at the scene.
A Campus That's Seen Its Share of Scares
Ranch View Middle School serves roughly 829 students across grades 7 and 8, with most of its graduates feeding directly into ThunderRidge, according to SchoolDigger. The campus has faced emergency situations before: the school went into a secure-perimeter lockdown after a bullet struck an exterior door.
The fire department was working on a plan to clear smoke from the building after the flames were extinguished.
Tuesday's incident at Ranch View involved a fire in an unoccupied classroom, and South Metro Fire Rescue reported no injuries.
