Cypress Pointe Fire/Rescue, Southern Pines Fire/Rescue, Whispering Pines Fire/Rescue and Moore County EMS were dispatched to STARS Charter School for a structure fire just before 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday night.
While enroute the dispatch center reported that two storage buildings behind the main school building were on fire. The first firefighter that arrived reported out buildings on fire with flame impinging on the main building.
As units arrived they deployed 2 attack lines and initially positioned both lines between the fire buildings and the main school building in efforts to reduce the heat and flame that were impinging on the exposed building. These efforts pushed the fire away from the exposed building and back to the original fire buildings. Due to the radiant heat several exterior windows on the school building were damaged with one window having the glass blow out which allowed smoke into the school building. The smoke in the building activated the fire alarm, fire personnel established ventilation to eject the smoke from the building and reset the fire alarm.
This fire could have been much worse but because of early notification and a quick response by the fire departments the main damage was limited to the exterior of the building. School staff members arrived and were more than willing to assist the fire department with gaining access to areas of the campus and assisted with resetting the fire alarm.
This fire is under investigation by the Moore County Fire Marshal.