Philadelphia

Science-Lab Fire Forces Early Dismissal at Philadelphia High School

A fire at a Philadelphia high school forced more than 400 students to be evacuated and dismissed early Monday morning.

The fire broke out about 9:45 a.m. in a science lab on the fourth floor of Benjamin Franklin High School at Broad and Green streets. As SkyForce10 hovered overhead, firefighters could be seen shooting water through the window of the school to put the fire out.

Officials said the blaze was under control about 30 minutes later and was contained to the lab. A school-district spokesman said 457 students were evacuated and taken to the nearby Franklin Learning Center. They were dismissed about 11:30 a.m. as a fire marshal continued to investigate the cause of the blaze inside the high school.

There were no injuries, the spokesman said.

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