East Longmeadow High School evacuated over gas smell

EAST LONGMEADOW, Mass. (WWLP) - Students at East Longmeadow High School had to be evacuated from the building on Thursday morning, after the smell of gas was detected inside.

School Superintendent Gordon Smith told 22News that the evacuation began around 7:20 A.M., when the faint odor of natural gas was detected in the building.

Police, the fire department, and gas workers were called in, and inspected throughout the school; particularly in areas of the building where gas was used, such as science classrooms. While the evacuation was happening, students were brought to the nearby St. Michael's Church, so that they could keep warm.

Fire Chief Paul Morrissette told 22News that during the investigation, a "small issue" was found in a classroom for a student cooking class, but that firefighters were not able to detect the gas smell in the building.

Police Sgt. Dennis Sheehan also told 22News that on searching the school, they found that some of the individual Bunsen burner valves in a science classroom were in an "open" position, but the gas main that feeds them had been shut off by the classroom's teacher, which is standard procedure for when the burners are not in use.

Smith said that gas company workers found that there was a "zero" reading of natural gas inside the building, and as such it was determined to be safe to allow students back inside.

Classes at the school resumed around 8:45 A.M.

The incident at ELHS comes one day after students at the Sumner Avenue Elementary School in Springfield had to be moved to the Trinity Church , due to the smell of gas in that building. Students there were allowed to return after a small leak was repaired.