Two-Alarm Fire Damages Tewksbury Preschool Friday Night

An overnight fire at Tewksbury Knowledge Beginnings Kindercare appears to have started in a ceiling fan in the second floor bathroom of the facility, officials say. The daycare center/preschool is located at 200 Old Main St.

Fire officials were called to the scene just after 10:30 p.m. Friday night when the fire alarm activated. Tewksbury Fire Chief Michael Hazel says when crews arrived they found a smoke condition on the second floor of the building and the fire sprinklers were activated.

A second floor bathroom and the attic area of the building were damaged by the fire, according to Hazel. There was also water damage to the first and second floors. Electricity to the building was shut off by National Grid as a precaution.

While fighting the fire, firefighters pulled down ceilings to expose the attic and fire area and then used hose lines to extinguish the remaining fire.

The Billerica Fire Department was called to the scene to assist with removing debris from the building and Wilmington and Andover Fire Departments provided station coverage.

The fire is still under investigation, but Hazel says a ceiling fan in the second floor bathroom appears to be the area of fire origin.

There were no injuries reported and the firefighters on scene worked quickly to contain and extinguish this fire. The building was not occupied at the time of the fire.