Overview
- School staff moved students from Chico Elementary to Chico High School as a safety precaution and the district reported all students were safe and accounted for.
- Fire crews extinguished a grass fire on or next to school property shortly after the evacuation and were seen applying water to the campus while scorched grass remained near the parking lot.
- Students were observed returning toward the elementary campus after responders reduced the blaze, but officials have not yet given formal clearance to fully reopen the site.
- The origin of the fire has not been determined and Chico ISD is awaiting a formal assessment from Wise County emergency management before resuming normal operations.
- Regional forecasts had warned of elevated fire risk from gusty winds, low humidity and high heat, and parents relied on the PTO's Facebook updates when the district's ParentSquare system was temporarily down.