Lexington high school theater closes for repairs after smoke draws fire trucks

The theater auditorium at Lexington’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School closed for repairs Monday after smoke was seen near the upper stage lights, Principal Scott Loscheider told families in an email.

Loscheider, in the email, described an “electrical issue.”

“Today, in our theatre, the presence of smoke was identified near the upper stage lights. We immediately contacted the Lexington Fire Department out of an abundance of caution,’’ Loscheider said.

Fire officials inspected the building and decided there was no active fire and no need to evacuate.

“Classes and indoor activities proceeded as scheduled with a five minute delay with lunches. The auditorium will remain closed while our district maintenance team completes repairs,” Loscheider said.

Lexington Battalion Fire Chief Derek Roberts described the situation as “nothing dire at all.”

“A spotlight in the auditorium shorted out and put a little haze in the area. No fire. Alarm panel never went off. Electrician was on scene to replace the light. Our crews ventilated the room and cleared the scene.” Roberts said.

“It was an issue with the HVAC,” district spokesperson Miranda Scully told the Herald-Leader Monday.

The school has had other maintenance issues.

In September, the ceiling at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School leaked so severely during a heavy rain that an assistant principal told staff the school had run out of buckets to catch the water.

The roof will be replaced between May and September, Scully said Monday.

Elsewhere in the school district this month, the boys and girls 43rd District basketball tournaments had to be scheduled away from Tates Creek High School’s Nolan Barger Gymnasium after a roof leak discovered over the winter storm break damaged the four-year-old facility’s court.

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 3:46 PM.