Fire forces evacuation at Emerald Ridge High School

Two Emerald Ridge High School sophomores are in the custody of Pierce County sheriff’s deputies after lighting a banner on fire in the school’s common area, officials say.

The fire forced the evacuation of a wrestling match and caused sprinklers to douse the school’s common area with water.

A large banner was lit on fire and the smoke triggered the sprinkler system, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue spokesman Brian Levings said. A wrestling match was evacuated, Puyallup School District spokesman Brian Fox said.

Water from the sprinkler system was the primary concern, Levings said.

School will go on as scheduled, Fox said.

The extent of the damage from the fire and the water used to extinguish it is unknown.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Fire forces evacuation at Emerald Ridge High School."