Small fire fills school gym with smoke

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Firefighters responded to a small fire at City Hill Middle School in Naugatuck Monday night. –LUKE MARSHALL
Firefighters responded to a small fire at City Hill Middle School in Naugatuck Monday night. –LUKE MARSHALL

NAUGATUCK — A small fire in the heating and cooling system at City Hill Middle School filled the gymnasium with smoke Monday night.

Second Assistant Fire Chief Paul Russell said a custodian at City Hill reported smoke in the gymnasium at about 4:50 p.m.

Capt. Michael Chatfield said firefighters discovered that an air handler in a closet malfunctioned, causing a small fire in its filters. There was no fire damage to the gymnasium, he said. As of 5:30 p.m., firefighters were still on the scene clearing smoke out of the gym.

Municipal elections are Tuesday and the City Hill gym is used as a polling place.

Assistant Superintendent of Schools Christopher Montini said voting will still take place in the school. However, he said, if the smell of smoke is too strong on Tuesday morning, the voting booths will be moved to another location in the school.