RACINE, Wis. — A fire broke out at Mitchell Middle School in Racine, Wis., on May 28. 

A physical education teacher alerted Nick Wotnoske, a school engineer, that they smelled smoke in the gymnasium.

Wotnoske went to the gym, where he saw the small fire in the upper part of the stage. Wotnoske used a dry chemical fire extinguisher and a water fire extinguisher, containing the fire until the Racine Fire Department arrived.

Fire alarms were sounded at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Students and staff evacuated the school. The fire department said students were not endangered at any point of the evacuation.

First responders said when they arrived on the scene, there was a small fire in an elevated area of a stage in the school’s old gymnasium.

The department said Engine Companies 1, 2 and 5, Truck 1, Quint 4, MED 4, Battalion 1 and Fire Investigators all responded to the fire. Engine 5 was the first to arrive on scene — in less than four minutes.

The fire department said Engine 5 stretched a hose line to the stage and was able to fully put out the fire.

The Racine Fire Department said its fire investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire but do not suspect foul play.

Damages include an initial property loss estimate of $50,000, as well as an initial content loss estimate of $2,500. The fire department said fire damage was limited to a part of the stage in the old gymnasium where the fire occurred.

The fire department said no injuries were reported in connection to the fire.