NATCHEZ — A ceiling fan in a cafeteria employee restroom at Natchez High School overheated Monday resulting in a small fire in which no employees or students were injured.

Natchez Fire Department responded to the call at approximately noon Monday, but the flames, which resulted from sparks igniting toilet paper and paper towels, were extinguished by the time the firefighters arrived.

NFD Cpt. David Freeman said the fire was contained to the bathroom, which is located in the rear of the cafeteria, but caused smoke to fill the gymnasium.

The firefighters cleared the smoke from the gym and the back of the cafeteria.

Principal Cleveland Moore said the fire occurred in between student lunch periods, so no students were in the cafeteria at the time.

“All of the cafeteria employees followed protocol and procedure and were able to put out the fire with an extinguisher we had in the back,” Moore said. “Thankfully, everyone reacted appropriately and it didn’t escalate further.”

Natchez-Adams School District Operations Manager Larnell Ford said the bathroom would soon be repaired and the ceiling fan would be replaced.