The Town of Wilton sent the following statement from Wilton Fire Chief Jim Blanchfield in response to a comment made by Superintendent Kevin Smith following the suspected lightning strike at Cider Mill School. Describing the damage caused by the event, Smith relayed an assessment from the district’s building supervisor: “He said we’re lucky the building didn’t burn down.”
To the Editor:
As a follow-up to the article in GOOD Morning Wilton concerning the incidents at Cider Mill School and Middlebrook School on April 7, I want to assure residents that it was not a real possibility that the building could have burned down as was noted in the article because the building has a fire suppression system that would have prevented this from happening.
Once emergency personnel on both scenes were able to determine the scope of the electrical emergency affecting the schools, the quick decision to shut down power in the buildings was instrumental in preventing possible further damage. Additionally, the automatic fire sprinklers in both buildings remained operational during the incidents.
I commend the quick response of all town agencies and subsequent actions to return services back to normal.
Chief Jim Blanchfield
Wilton Fire Department
