Burst pipe floods high school

Crews were working to clean up significant water damage at Glacier High School Saturday after a pipe burst, according to Activities Director Mark Dennehy.

The gymnasium was not damaged, Dennehy said, but water spilled into a large area in the B pod portion of the building.

The flood, which officials suspect was caused when a frozen fire suppression line broke, started in the second floor B200 pod, according to an e-mail from the school. Water seeped into the B100 pod on the main floor.

Eleven classrooms, a special education pod, administrative offices and the school’s main office were affected.

A youth wrestling tournament already under way was canceled, and attendees were asked to leave the building after the burst pipe set off an alarm.

Kalispell Fire Department Assistant Chief Dave Dedman said firefighters shut off the water flow and attempted to minimize damage after responding early Saturday afternoon.

Ceiling tiles, built-in cabinets, walls, carpet, filing cabinets, furniture, computers, televisions, phones, interactive whiteboards, books and teacher resources were damaged, according to the school. A total price tag for the injured property was not released.

Dennehy said classes would continue despite the incident. Full attendance by all students and staff is expected, according to the e-mail.

Classes and offices damaged in the flood have been relocated to other areas within the building. Charts in the commons area will direct students and staff to those new locations.

“Our goal is we’re going to carry on with school and everything else, but we’ll have some significant work to do,” Dennehy said.