Student Airlifted To Hospital After Fire At Clearwater School

CLEARWATER, FL — An 8-year-old student suffered serious burns Wednesday at High Point Elementary School after a fire broke out, officials have confirmed.

The boy was airlifted from the school and taken to Tampa General Hospital’s burn center, a spokesman for Largo Fire Rescue spokesman Terry Tokarz told Patch. The school was evacuated when the fire broke out, and the fire department was called around 2:24 p.m.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Lisa Wolf, a spokeswoman for Pinellas County Schools, called it an "isolated incident."

"The fire wasn't really burning by the time we got there," Tokarz told Patch. "The building itself was not on fire."

One teacher suffered minor wounds in the fire, but the individual was not taken to a hospital by emergency crews.

Students were returned to the school around 3 p.m., and shortly thereafter they were dismissed for the day. The school is located at 5921 150th Ave. N in Clearwater, FL.

Wolf said students can come to school on Thursday for a normal day. Parents have been notified about the incident.

The school will have counselors, social workers and psychologists available to consult with anyone concerned about the incident, Wolf said.

"We are going to be providing support to anyone needs it," she told Patch.

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