Workers hired to power wash the outside wall of Darien Nature Center on Monday, May 2, caused water to inadvertently make contact with an outside electrical outlet, which set off a small fire, police said.
The workers saw smoke coming from a window at the nature center, located in Cherry Lawn Park at 120 Brookside Road, and a 911 call was made at 2:45 p.m. A dispatcher was told there was smoke in one of the classrooms.
When police arrived, they smelled and saw smoke coming from below a window on a wall at the west side of the building, just to the right of the building entrance. Darien Fire Department firefighters soon arrived and put it out.
The fire was inside the wall, which firefighters tore out to make sure the flames were extinguished.
No animals were harmed in the fighting of this fire.
No classes were in session either, although the nature center was open and remained open.