An alert passerby called 911 on Dec. 23 to report smoke coming from a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning unit on the roof of Maple Grove Elementary School in Dittmer. The Cedar Hill Fire Protection District received the call at about 8 p.m., Fire Chief Mick Fischer said.
“Someone saw smoke and called 911 and averted further damage to the building,” he said.
Firefighters were able to handle the problem quickly, he said.
“The HVAC unit on the roof was having mechanical issues and we were able to isolate the power to the unit and shut it off,” Fischer said.
No one was in the building that evening, he said.
Firefighters were on the scene for about an hour, Fischer said.
“We had to wait for a school official to get there to inform them,” he said.
District officials said there was no fire or smoke damage found in the unit.
The unit has been inspected and was expected to be in proper working order for students when they returned on Jan. 3, chief operating officer Geoff Macy said.
The High Ridge, Goldman and Eureka fire protection districts as well as the Big River Ambulance District assisted with the call.