Fire at Johnson High School leads to evacuation and early release

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

HAYS COUNTY — Johnson High School in Hays CISD experienced a small fire on campus at approximately 10:00 a.m., on Thursday, March 24, 2022. The building was quickly evacuated safely.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is still underway; however, it appears to have started in a dryer in the athletics wing laundry room. The fire was contained in the laundry room, but heavy smoke permeated throughout much of the building. Additionally, the fire sprinkler system activated in the athletic wing, leaving a large amount of water throughout the area.

The district said they appreciate the continued strong partnership is has with the Buda Fire Department and all first responders. They arrived quickly and were able to immediately address the emergency.

District custodial and maintenance crews, as well as the district’s contracted disaster recovery company, will be working throughout the rest of the day to restore the building. The district hopes to be able to return to a normal class schedule for Johnson High School on Friday, March 25, 2022, but it will depend on the progress of the cleanup effort. The district will address that in an afternoon update.

Because the evacuation occurred quickly, students and staff left a number of personal belongings in the building. The building site is secure and the district is working with emergency personnel to address whether anyone will be allowed to return to the building today to retrieve personal belongings. The district will announce plans for retrieving personal belongings later this afternoon, once options have been considered.

According to HCSID, during the evacuation and subsequent early release, parents were informed via email, text message, the district’s smartphone app, and a phone call using the district’s automated parent alert system.