Suspicious fire near school investigated

Authorities were investigating the cause of a suspicious fire that broke out in a Dumpster at a local school early Tuesday night.

Fire crews responded to the Elm Street Middle School at 117 Elm St. shortly after 4:30 p.m. when a resident in the neighborhood called to report flames coming from a Dumpster at the school, Nashua Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Michael O’Brien said.

Arriving to the scene, firefighters found the contents of a Dumpster on the Lake Street side of the school fully engulfed in flames and immediately began to extinguish the fire, he said.

Although several adults were inside the school at the time fire, O’Brien said no persons were injured.

The fire was contained to the trash bin and the school was not damaged, he said.

“Luckily it was far enough from the building that it didn’t cause any damage,” O’Brien said.

Due to the nature of the fire, the fire was deemed suspicious and officials from the fire marshals office as well as police were summoned to the school to investigate, O’Brien said.

He said witnesses in the area reported seeing several juveniles near the trash bin shortly before the fire was reported.