Fire Engulfs Classroom at Greenwich Catholic School, Prompt Rapid Response from Firefighters

On the night of September 12, just after ten o’clock, the calm of Greenwich was broken by the shrill sound of a fire alarm at the Catholic school on North Street. The alarm, as it should, woke the fire department right away, and about thirty firefighters were already on the way.

When the crews arrived at roughly 10:05 p.m., they found smoke curling from one of the school’s classrooms. Inside, flames were licking the walls, and the situation could have gotten a lot worse if not for the swift, coordinated effort of the men and women on the scene.

Firefighters stretched several hoselines into the building, pulling the fire back with a steady stream of water. Within about fifteen minutes the blaze was declared under control. The fire department says the rapid response helped keep the damage limited to a single classroom, though that room did suffer “significant” destruction.

Fortunately, no one was inside the school at the time, and none of the firefighters were injured. The alarm system did its job—alerting the department early and pointing them right to the source of the fire. That, the department reminded residents, is why a functioning fire alarm is so crucial.

At this point, the Greenwich Fire Marshal’s Office has taken over the investigation. Officials are still piecing together exactly how the fire started and what it might mean for classes when school resumes on Monday.

As the community looks ahead, the message is clear: stay alert, keep alarm systems up to date, and trust that when emergencies strike, help is just a few minutes away.