Firefighters inspect the former Paradise Elementary School on Thursday after winds toppled a tree, bringing down high-voltage lines. A PPL lineman said a power surge traveled through the vacant school, causing burns at various spots in the building. Students moved into a new elementary school Wednesday.
The transfer of classes from the old Paradise Elementary School to the new one couldn't have been timed better.
A tree felled by wind about 10:40 a.m. Thursday took down some wires with it, causing a power surge that shot through a transformer and switches at the old school.
Maintenance workers heard an alarm sound, saw the smoking transformer and dialed 911, bringing firefighters and a PPL crew to the site, Pequea Valley School District Superintendent Patrick Hallock said.
Had students been at the old school, Hallock said, they would have had to evacuate.
"That's definite," he said.
But when classes resumed Wednesday after winter break, they did so at the brand-new Paradise Elementary School, built behind the old school at 20 N. Belmont Road, off Route 30.
Power went out temporarily at the new school, but classes went on as usual and were dismissed on time, district employees said.
The surge was more than 7,000 volts, a PPL lineman said. Nearby residences and businesses also were affected by the outage — about 1,300 customers in all, PPL spokesman John Levitski said.
Firefighters dispatched to the old school found smoke and some blackened metal at spots where the electric current had passed, according to Paradise fire Chief Drew Wenger and fire policeman Ray Leaman.
The initial emergency call for downed wires was upgraded about 11 a.m. to a building fire, but firefighters saw smoke, not open flames, Wenger said.
There was "very little damage," Hallock said.
Firefighters remained at the site for about an hour until they were sure the danger was over. Fire companies dispatched included Gap, Gordonville, Kinzer and Intercourse, Wenger said.
The PPL crew worked into the afternoon, cutting apart the downed tree and restoring power. All service was restored by 2:10 p.m., Levitski said.
The district posted a brief message about the incident on its Web site.
The new Paradise Elementary School serves students from the old Paradise Elementary and from Leacock Elementary in Intercourse. Both closed in December. Total enrollment is about 390 students, Hallock said.
The $20.9 million facility boasts an environmentally friendly design and up-to-date technology, including computerized whiteboards and wireless networking.
The old school, built in the 1920s, is for sale, Hallock said. The Leacock school also is for sale, according to previous reports.
E-mail: tstuhldreher@lnpnews.com