Butterfield Elementary School escapes damage in rubbish fire

A small rubbish fire reported at about 1:24 a.m. Tuesday at the Butterfield Elementary School construction site in the Villages at Rancho El Dorado did little damage, a fire official said.

The blaze, which broke out about 20 feet west of the building on the southwest corner of the lot, destroyed a half-dozen boards and a few pallets. The school was not touched.

“I just talked to the supervisor out there to see if maybe they could check the crews to see if they were doing any hot work such as welding yesterday,” Fire Department of Maricopa Division Chief Mark Boys said.

Sometimes, the heat from such work is enough to spark nearby materials which can smolder without immediately being noticed.

“If the conditions are just right, sometimes you don’t see it until the early hours,” Boys said.

Boys said the fire was contained within minutes and does not appear to be intentional.

“I didn’t see anything suspicious at all,” he said. “We put a little water on it and it was a done deal.”

File photo