Firefighters douse blaze at Rancho High School, no injuries

Rancho High School was evacuated Monday due to a fire in the auditorium about 11 a.m.

A school employee told North Las Vegas Fire Department investigators that about 40 students were in class in the theater and smelled smoke.

Roughly 3,000 kids were escorted from the school while crews worked.

“That’s why we do (fire drills) once a month,” said North Las Vegas Fire Department battalion chief Scott Gorgon.

Gorgon described the blaze, which began in the school auditorium’s drapes, as “just a lot of smoke.”

Firefighters contained the fire to the auditorium and put it out quickly. No injuries were reported by fire officials, and Searles Avenue was closed in both directions in front of the school while the mess was cleaned up.

According to Tim Szymanski of the Las Vegas Fire Department, the fire started because one of the stage lights in the auditorium was too close to the curtains. He said the fire was accidental.

Rancho High School administrators on site refused to comment on the incident.

The school is the only property on the south side of Owens Avenue that is part of the city of North Las Vegas, and the school is under the jurisdiction of the North Las Vegas Fire Department.

Contact reporter Wesley Juhl at wjuhl@reviewjournal.com and (702) 383-0381. Follow him on Twitter @WesJuhl.