Dinwiddie elementary school briefly evacuated, dismissed early due to small fire in mechanical room

DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A small fire in the mechanical room at Sutherland Elementary School in Dinwiddie County prompted a safe evacuation on Thursday, with school being dismissed early.

According to a social post from Dinwiddie County Public Schools, the small fire occurred in the mechanical room in the back of Sutherland Elementary School on Thursday, March 19.

"Out of [an] abundance of caution, we immediately initiated our emergency procedures and safely evacuated all students and staff from the building," the district wrote in the post.

School officials said emergency responders were promptly on site to assess the situation and ensure the safety of students and staff.

"All students and staff are safe, and no injuries have been reported," the division wrote.

Students returned to the building to eat lunch before the school was dismissed early at 12:30 p.m.