Late Tuesday morning, a fire broke out in a water heater closet at Peabody Charter School. The gas water heater had, according to a fire department investigation, ignited combustible materials stored close by. Fire crews responded at 11 a.m. A smoke detector alerted school employees, who evacuated the campus. The fire serendipitously melted a waterline on a water softener, which then leaked water and kept the fire in check until firefighters extinguished it. Nobody was injured.
