Jones Magnet Middle School was evacuated Thursday due to a trash can fire in a boy’s restroom, according to Hampton City Schools and Hampton Fire Battalion Chief Anthony Chittum.
The incident was called in at 11:37 a.m., dispatch said. The fire was put out before Hampton Fire personnel arrived.
Students were evacuated according to school procedure and moved to Kecoughtan High School's auditorium due to smoke lingering from the fire. All students were safe, said Diana Gulotta, spokeswoman for Hampton City Schools.
“We had a student with an unrelated medical issue that required us to call the ambulance, but other than that things went really well,” Gulotta said. “The kids were in good spirits. There did not appear to be any fear on their part.”
An automated phone system informed parents of students at Jones that children were to be picked up from the Kecoughtan auditorium.
The cause of the fire was undetermined late Thursday afternoon, Gulotta said.
The school system is working with Hampton Police to investigate the cause of the fire.