Small fire leads to school evacuation

The gym roof at Phoebe Hearst Elementary School caught fire around 9:53 a.m. Friday morning when workers were installing solar panels. It was put out before the fire department arrived and there was little damage to the building and no injuries were reported.

The gym building is separate from the classrooms, yet students were evacuated as the alarm sounded.

Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Zolfarelli, with the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department, said workers were weatherproofing the system by sealing a mat with a propane torch, but the roof caught fire.

Once firefighters arrived, they determined the fire was out and opened the gym doors for ventilation. Children were allowed back into the classrooms shortly after and no injuries were reported.

Zolfarelli said there was a little damage to the building, but none caused by smoke.