Principal Updates Families On Hazmat Incident At Arlington HS

ARLINGTON, VA — A student was hospitalized following a hazardous materials incident at an Arlington County high school on Friday morning, according to authorities.

Arlington Fire and EMS responded around 10:30 a.m. to Wakefield High School to investigate the report of students experiencing symptoms related to a shop class, according to a post on the department's official X account.

"The Hazardous Materials Team responded and determined the source to be a faulty exhaust hose connected to a laser cutter," the post said. "Four students were evaluated on scene for non-life-threatening symptoms, and one student was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for further evaluation."

Principal Pete Balas sent the following message to the Wakefield High School community:

Dear Wakefield families,

We want to share information about an incident that occurred today in an engineering classroom. During a lesson that involved using a laser cutting machine, the equipment began to produce smoke. As a safety precaution, the class was immediately relocated, and the fire department was called to assess the situation.

Emergency medical personnel evaluated several students on site out of an abundance of caution. Everyone is safe and no serious injuries were reported. We have spoken to the families of the students who were evaluated by EMS.

The Fire Department quickly cleared the classroom after an inspection. The classroom involved will not be used for the rest of the day while staff complete a review of the equipment and ensure the space is fully ready for instruction.

The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. We appreciate the quick response of our students, teachers, and first responders.

Sincerely,

Pete Balas,

Principal

At approximately 10:30 am, units were dispatched to Wakefield High School for reports of students experiencing symptoms related to fumes in a shop class. The Hazardous Materials Team responded and determined the source to be a faulty exhaust hose connected to a laser cutter. pic.twitter.com/L8WzcT99PC
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) January 16, 2026