FRIENDSWOOD, Texas – Students at Clear Brook High School were temporarily evacuated Thursday morning due to a fire at a nearby gun range, according to Friendswood police.
According to police, the fire started at a storage shed at the range. The shed is used to store spent brass, and sometimes ammunition gets swept up with the brass. The ammunition charged off during the fire.
"Gun powder when it burns, it burns really bright and fast and hot," said Matt Fleming who owns The Best Shot Gun Range shop in Friendswood. "We tried to put out the fire with a water hose and fire extinguisher. We eventually opened all of the doors and tried to move the smoke as much as we could," he said.
The gun range is about a quarter-mile from the school and concerned school officials initiated a fire alarm after seeing smoke outside.
No smoke ever entered the school, despite earlier reports from the school district.
Students were led out of the school for safety precautions, but were allowed back in a short time later. No one was injured.