Fire at C.H. Flowers High School Prompts Evacuation, No Injuries Reported

A stage curtain fire inside Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale sent the campus into evacuation late Friday, as Prince George's County firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze. No one was injured, officials confirmed.

After putting out the fire, crews conducted ventilation efforts inside the building to clear smoke from the structure before it could be declared safe. No cause has been officially confirmed, and fire officials have not released an assessment of damage beyond the stage curtain itself.

Charles Herbert Flowers High School sits at 10001 Ardwick-Ardmore Road and serves more than 2,700 students in grades 9 through 12 as one of Prince George's County Public Schools' comprehensive science and technology magnet programs. The school draws students from Glenarden, Lake Arbor, Landover, and surrounding communities across eastern Prince George's County, and is led by Principal Dr. Gorman Brown.

The fire came alongside a separate safety incident at the same campus earlier in the week. On Tuesday morning, the school was placed on lockdown after a loaded firearm was found on school grounds. Prince George's County police said a 15-year-old student attempted to carry the loaded gun past the school's security checkpoint and was taken into custody. Officers described the lockdown as an "abundance of caution" measure; it was lifted by noon. The student faces a charge of possession of a firearm on school property, and that investigation remains open. Officials said there was no ongoing threat to students or the community.

Neither the Prince George's County Fire Department nor the Police Department has indicated a connection between the two incidents.