WEST LINN, OR (KPTV) -
A three-alarm fire at West Linn High School forced hundreds of students to evacuate Monday, and led to the cancellation of classes Tuesday.
Investigators said the fire started accidentally as a welder worked outside the gymnasium around 2:15 p.m.
Sparks from the welder's torch caught some nearby bushes on fire. School employees put out that fire.
Firefighters arrived and noticed smoke coming from the eaves of the building. They determined the fire had spread into the crawlspace of the gym. They got the flames under control by 4:30 p.m.
The school was evacuated and all students and staff made it out safely. No one was injured.
The school's main gym sustained heavy smoke and water damage, said principal Lou Bailey.
"You can't walk five feet into it because the cloud of smoke that's in there," Lou Bailey said . "It's like a wall."
Bailey said the locker rooms and main kitchen are also damaged.
Classes are called Wednesday. School officials will notify parents via email when they decide whether or not to hold classes the rest of the week.
Student athletes should contact their coaches for information regarding practices and games.
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