River Ridge High School & Middle School closed after smoke from controlled burn enters classrooms
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - River Ridge High School and River Ridge Middle School in Pasco County were closed on Wednesday after school officials say "excessive smoke" from a nearby controlled burn led to unsafe conditions on campus.
According to a post on River Ridge High School's Facebook page, smoke from Starkey Park, which is one mile from both schools, made its way into classrooms and the gym, which was discovered by the first staff member who arrived at the campus at around 6 a.m.
Local perspective:
"And, he saw that the smoke was very dense," Dr. Toni Zetzsche, Pasco County Schools' chief communications officer, said. "Heavy smell of smoke in the air. Really dense smoke, kind of just sitting on that campus and hanging there."
It caused officials to cancel all classes and campus activities for Wednesday, March 12. The district notified families via text, call and email.
"We usually leave the house around 6:15 to drop my daughter off at River Ridge, and right around 6:15, we got the email that the school is closed," Josh McCart, a parent of a River Ridge High School student, said.
Dig deeper:
The district said no students were on campus when the call was made to cancel classes.
"We don't take the loss of instructional time lightly, and that if we've made a decision to close, it's because it is the safest option," Zetzsche said.
Zetzsche said the few students who were already on buses on the way to school were taken back home.
"We did appreciate getting the notice out, and I was able to leave my daughter at home and come to work," McCart said. "So, we were thankful for the notice and how fast it went out to all the students and parents."
The other side:
The Southwest Florida Water Management District said the controlled burn spanned 107 acres and went as planned on Tuesday, but a change in wind patterns caused the smoke to blow over the schools.
"We lost that transport wind that was predicted to be north," said Chris Reed, the land management manager with the SFWMD. "So, it was supposed to be blowing away from the school, back towards the bike trail, into the Starkey Preserve."
It was authorized by the Florida Forest Service, adding that the area contained dead trees from a 2017 brush fire and debris from recent hurricanes. Officials said it was extremely important to prevent uncontrolled fires from spreading.
"It protects the wildlife, it protects the natural systems, and it protects our firefighters," Reed said.
The SFWMD said it does 85 to 105 controlled burns every year, and that 20 to 25 of the burns are done on this preserve. Officials said dry season in Florida is year-long, but it peaks in the late spring.
What they're saying:
The school's Facebook post reads, in part: "We appreciate your support and understanding. Though we know this is not convenient, our focus is student safety."
Smoke from a controlled burn forced River Ridge High School and River Ridge Middle School to close on Wednesday.
SWFMD also released a statement, apologizing for the school closures while also writing: "Prescribed fires such as this one are critical to help protect the community from the spread of uncontrolled wildfires like the ones recently experienced in California."
What's next:
On Wednesday afternoon, crews mopped up the remaining debris from the burn. The district expects River Ridge Middle School and River Ridge High School to reopen on Thursday.
The Source: The information in this story was provided by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and River Ridge High School.
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