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Small fire at Cragmont
A small fire occurred just before the end of classes Friday at Cragmont Elementary School on Regal Road.
The incident happened on the south side of the multipurpose auditorium, near Spruce Street, which serves as the eastern border of the campus. The source of the fire was either a cigarette butt or spontaneous combustion, said Steve Rathbone, the district’s safety officer.
The material around that side of the multipurpose is Gorilla hair, which Rathbone compared to shredded coconut shell. He and members of the Berkeley Fire Department found four cigarette butts in the scorched area of about 12 feet by 20 feet. But, because of the low humidity Friday afternoon, spontaneous combustion can’t be eliminated as a possible cause, Rathbone said.
The school structure was not damaged in the fire, and there were no injuries to students or staff. One firefighter sustained a minor injury.
