Broken Boiler Pipe Floods School Basement But Does Not Disrupt Classes

A broken pipe on a boiler at Buker Elementary School on Friday flooded the floor in the boiler room.

All the water on the floor prompted the response of the Wenham Fire Department to help out just before noon, but the fire alarm was not activated and classes were not interrupted.

“School went on normally,” Wenham Fire Chief Bob Blanchard said. “The kids went about their business.”

About eight firefighters helped school staff pump out the water, Blanchard said.

The school has three furnaces, so once the water was pumped out, the other two furnaces could be used, Blanchard said.

“The other two boilers at the school were not affected and can provide sufficient heat to the building while the third is being repaired,” said Superintendent Michael Harvey. “I expect the repairs to be completed by Monday at the latest.”

The water was isolated to the furnace room.

"They had about a foot of water in the furnace room," Blanchard said.

The leak was detected quickly, but if the building were not occupied steam would have eventually activated the fire alarm, Blanchard said.

“Fortunately someone caught it quick,” Blanchard said.