MANALAPAN – Firefighters were called to Manalapan High School on Church Lane on the morning of March 8 to extinguish a fire that broke out on the roof of the building.
School was closed that day after a nor’easter struck the area on March 7.
Manalapan Police Capt. Thomas Barstow reported that at 8:40 a.m., officers from the Manalapan Police Department responded to the high school and were soon joined by personnel from the Gordons Corner Fire Company, Manalapan; the Manalapan Township Fire Company (Millhurst); the Englishtown Fire Department; and the East Freehold Fire Company, Freehold Township.
Barstow said the firefighters extinguished the fire in the roof above the boiler room. He said Monmouth County Fire Marshal Rick Hogan responded to the high school and determined the fire originated from a generator which had been running all night as the result of a power loss from the nor’easter.
Barstow said an exhaust pipe became heated and ignited the roofing material, causing the fire. He said employees of a roofing company arrived at the high school to repair the roof. The captain said no other damage was done to the high school.
Rebecca Policastro, a spokeswoman for the Freehold Regional High School District, confirmed repairs were underway shortly after the fire was extinguished and said no issues were anticipated when students and staff members returned to the building on March 9.
