Whittemore School Evacuation: 'Fan Was Not Ventilating Properly'

WALTHAM, MA -- The gas smell that caused a carbon monoxide detector to sound, and officials to evacuate the Whittemore Middle School, on Tuesday morning has been determined.

The school was evacuated around 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday before students arrived after staff members discovered the gas smell, and heard a carbon monoxide detector go off. Students were transported to the McDevitt Middle School for the day (some parents picked their children up).

The smell of gas was attributed to a broken fan that was not ventilating exhaust properly in the boiler room, said Superintendent Drew Echelson in a statement. The boilers were checked for gas leaks and multiple inspectors found no leaks. Steps were then taken to fix the problem by the Waltham Fire Department and a specialist. Both agreed the school is safe for students and adults.

Whittemore will reopen for school on Wednesday.

“We want to personally thank the local fire and police officers who arrived on the scene,” said Echelson. “Their leadership and first response was greatly appreciated. We also want to thank our bus companies. We also want to acknowledge the leadership of staff of Whittemore and McDevitt School who, as always, put our children first.”