Odor Prompts Temporary Evacuation at Rancho Bernardo High School

More than 230 Rancho Bernado High School students were evacuated Thursday morning after some complained of smelling a strange odor that made them sick, officials said.

Officials believe exhaust fumes from a leaf blower may have been what caused the smell.

A 15-year-old girl was transported by ambulance to the hospital as a precaution, but no one was seriously affected, said Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

She had been feeling nauseous and school officials could not reach her parents so, by policy, she was sent to receive additional help, RB High Principal Paul Robinson said.

The smell was reported around 8:40 a.m. near the science buildings on campus, Luque said. Students in one of the science classrooms said they smelled something like diesel exhaust and the teacher evacuted her students, Robinson said.

Soon, all 237 students from the science building and one additional classroom across the walkway were evacuated to the football field, Luque said.

Hazmat crews and the firefighters responded. The Hazmat teams conducted two readings inside the science building and did not detect anything harmful, Luque said.

"The thinking is that there was a gardener with a leaf blower outside the science building doing some landscaping and the exhaust fumes from the blower may have entered into the classroom and that's what the students were smelling," Luque said.

At 10:08 a.m., the buildings were cleared for students to return, he said.

"We just wanted to be safe," Robinson said.

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