Fire at Greenwich Catholic School Leaves Classroom Significantly Damaged

Just after ten o’clock on the night of September 12, the Greenwich Fire Department received a call that a fire alarm had sounded at Greenwich Catholic School, located at 471 North Street. The alarm cut through the quiet of the neighborhood, and within minutes fire crews were racing to the scene.

When the first trucks pulled up, firefighters found a plume of smoke seeping from one of the school’s classrooms. Inside, a fire had taken hold, feeding on the wooden desks and paper littered about. The crews immediately stretched multiple hoselines into the building, working side‑by‑side with a sense of urgency that only years of training can breed.

About thirty firefighters tackled the blaze, and thanks to their coordinated effort, the fire was declared under control in roughly fifteen minutes. Their quick action limited the damage to a single classroom, which sustained “significant” harm, according to the department’s statement. No one was inside the school at the time, and fortunately no firefighters were injured.

The department used the incident as a reminder of why functional fire alarm systems matter. “In this case, the alarm alerted firefighters to the fire and allowed them to quickly locate and extinguish it,” a spokesperson said.

Now the Greenwich Fire Marshal’s Office is digging into what sparked the fire and how it might affect school operations on Monday. Officials haven’t yet said whether the damaged classroom will be usable for upcoming classes.

Residents can rest easy knowing the prompt response helped prevent a larger disaster, but the episode underscores the importance of vigilance and proper safety equipment in schools.