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Posted on Mon, Jul 25, 2011 : 5:16 p.m.

Fire at Ann Arbor Open School caused by electrical ceiling fan

By Kyle Feldscher

A fire at Ann Arbor Open at Mack School on Friday that resulted in more than $100,000 in damage was caused by a faulty electrical ceiling fan unit, a district official said Monday.

The Friday morning fire required summer classes to be moved to Wines Elementary School before finishing up at King Elementary School this week, district spokesperson Liz Margolis said.

No one was injured during the fire and only staff were in the building at the time, Margolis said.

The school is expected to be ready by the beginning of the school year, and cleanup crews began working on clearing the damaged area Friday, Margolis said.

At this point, it's unknown exactly what school or personal materials were damaged or destroyed during the fire, she said.

The Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop will be holding a fundraiser from Aug. 14 to Aug. 20 for Ann Arbor Open as a part of its regular Show Your Support program, said Ann Farnham, the director of fundraising at the thrift shop.

The effort will give the school a chance to win up to $500 towards replacing the damaged items.

The Show Your Support program gives every customer who spends more than $5 a chance to donate a token to one of three schools that rotate on a weekly basis. It just so happens that Ann Arbor Open will have a spot coming up in the next month or so, Farnham said. Customers will have the opportunity to donate to two other schools as well.

For more information on the PTO Thrift Shop, click here.

Comments

Wolf's Bane

Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.

I live near Mack Open and must confess that I have often wondered about the maintenance of the building or lack thereof. Now, it appears, we know the state of the electrical lines within the building. Might I suggest voting for the forthcoming school funding opportunities so that we may renovate our schools without having to raise money through the PTO? It just seems so silly to allow our schools to fall into disrepair despite that fact that we all pay taxes?! On a side note, how safe are our schools really? Any reports out there?

A2anon

Tue, Jul 26, 2011 : 2:21 a.m.

Thank you so much, PTO Thrift Store! You do so much to support our schools, and we really do appreciate it!