Transformer caught fire at a Hilton Head Island school after students were evacuated

A Palmetto Electric transformer at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts caught fire a few hours after students were evacuated from the building, Beaufort County School District officials said Wednesday afternoon.

Students at HHISCA and neighboring Hilton Head Island High School were sent home earlier that day due to a power loss at both schools.

“Because this outage affected the ventilation systems, classroom windows were opened,” district spokesperson Candace Bruder said around 1 p.m. Wednesday. “However, out of an abundance of caution, students are being sent home.”

Later, she said that the transformer at HHISCA caught fire when the power was restored, and had been extinguished by the fire department.

The power was restored late Wednesday night, and both HHISCA and Hilton Head Island High will resume in-person classes as normal Thursday morning.

Students returned to class from winter break on Monday, which marked the first day of full-time, in-person instruction in the district since March.

This story was originally published January 6, 2021 at 1:29 PM.

Rachel Jones

The Island Packet

843-631-6039

Rachel Jones covers education for the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has worked for the Daily Tar Heel and Charlotte Observer. She has won awards from the South Carolina Press Association, Associated College Press and North Carolina College Media Association for feature writing and education reporting.