Crime & Safety

Bates Middle Briefly Evacuated; Deemed Safe

Officials were called to the school for reports of smoke coming from the chimney and found that the school's boiler had malfunctioned.

was evacuated briefly Monday morning after dark smoke was reported coming from the chimney.

Tony Spencer, a spokesman from the Annapolis Fire Department, said units were dispatched to the scene around 9:59 a.m. Units from the Anne Arundel County and the U.S. Naval Academy fire departments were also called to the scene.

Soon after it was discovered that there was a malfunctioning boiler. Students were allowed back in the classroom at 10:16 a.m., Spencer said. There were no injuries reported and no damage to the building, Spencer said in a release.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.