Restroom fire at Miller Junior High leads to evacuation
Published 1:30 am Friday, May 22, 2026
Students, teachers and staff at Miller Junior High on the southside of Aberdeen were forced to evacuate the school late Thursday morning due to a restroom fire.
While on scene, Aberdeen Fire Department (AFD) Battalion Chief Dave Swinhart said the fire had been extinguished and the cause was unknown as AFD was finishing up their clean-up shortly before 11:30 a.m.
Swinhart said the building would be ready for re-entry in less than an hour. A few minutes later at 11:40 a.m., students, faculty and staff started to file back into the school. Audible groans could be heard from the students.
However, shortly before noon, the Aberdeen School District announced that classes had been cancelled for the rest of the day due to lingering smoke and water. According to the District, students had to leave without their belongings. The building cleared for staff to re-enter and remain until 5 p.m. Thursday to give students an opportunity to collect their belongings. All schools are closed Friday and Monday, with classes resuming on Tuesday after Memorial Day.
According to an AFD press release, a total of 12 firefighters responded on one command unit, three engines, one medic unit, along with one assistant chief. The Hoquiam Fire Department responded as well. There were no injuries reported at the time of the incident.
“We applaud the Miller Jr. High staff for a safe and well-organized evacuation of students and teachers. Fire crews were on scene for about an hour before clearing the incident,” AFD said.
“We will be debriefing in the coming days,” said Aberdeen School District Co-Superintendent Lynn Green. “The staff did a great job keeping everybody safe during the dismissal process, and parents were very gracious and understanding.”
The Aberdeen Police and Fire departments are investigating the cause of this fire which appears to have been intentionally started. Investigators are still working to determine the individual(s) that are responsible and will release further information as it becomes available.
