An air conditioning unit outside a computer lab on the second and third grade hallway of Stilson Elementary caused a small electrical fire at approximately 8:50 Thursday morning. No injuries were reported, and the entire building was evacuated for nearly an hour.
      "I can't say enough good things about how our first responders, students and staff handled the incident," Stilson Principal Eileen Bayens said.
      The computer lab manager smelled a foul odor and noticed several computers not functioning due to tripped breakers. Simultaneously outside the building, pre-kindergarten teachers spotted smoke coming from the unit and immediately notified the front office.
      Office personnel pulled the fire alarm and called 911. All 395 students and 60 faculty and staff evacuated the building in less than two minutes.
      Bulloch County Fire Department personnel responded to extinguish the fire. What caused the unit to catch fire is still undetermined. No property other than the air conditioning unit was permanently damaged.
      Fire department personnel allowed the building to be reoccupied in stages beginning with the hallways farthest away from the incident. The affected hallway that houses second and third grades was closed for the remainder of the day due to the smell of smoke. Those students resumed their classes in vacant classrooms elsewhere in the building. A local fire restoration company was contacted to treat the affected area. Bayens expects to reopen the wing for classes Friday morning.
      School administrators contacted all parents to notify them of the incident.
      "Our staff instantly went into action to redirect and occupy the children during the evacuation, and there were no further incidents or behavior issues," Bayens said.