Students and teachers alike were shocked to hear the fire alarm during the 2nd Period, even though there was no fire drill planned. The Fairfax Fire Department made their way to South Lakes Drive, where the mystery was soon revealed. 

The fire took place near the Junior Locker Pod, as a piece of toilet paper was caught on fire, which led flames to the entire toilet paper dispenser. Then the blaring fire alarm went off, and initially, students did not suspect those potential hazards until that moment.

Erica Ocansey, a Freshman, said she was in health class with their temporary substitute that morning. When the alarm went off, Ocansey said: “At first, I thought it was just a [normal] fire drill. I thought they normally do it in the 7th Period, so I was kind of confused…” However, Erica was unphased towards the fire. She says it all felt weird to her, but she’s relieved “the school didn’t burn down and it was a tiny fire.”

Another Freshman, Kass Harmon, said she was in English class when the fire took place: “I thought it was a drill, so I [walked] out of English class. [My class] went down the stairs, evacuating, and my teacher looked very off-guard. That’s how I knew it wasn’t a drill, and I smelled smoke when walking out the building.” Harmon said it felt hectic given the number of people outside during the drill.

Ocansey reported she overheard two girls talking about the fire and saw the photo of the toilet paper roll on fire. Harmon, too, says she saw the photo on a Snapchat SLHS Group Discussion.

Most students believed at first the fire alarm was pulled on accident or as a stunt. So when it was revealed that there was a real fire; it alarmed many students and teachers. However, many students were not surprised it was from a vape.

The interrupted 2nd period block was extended, and Advisory as well. However, SS6 was shortened to make up for the extended time added to the periods prior. The fire left many students shocked about the drastic event and was the talk of the school for the rest of the day.