Faulty Air Handler at Burns Middle Leads To In-School Evacuation for Sixth-Graders

The emergency vehicles outside Burns Middle School this morning, Feb. 10, were in response to unusual smells that followed a power outage at the school, said Hillsborough County School District spokesperson Linda Cobbe.

The sixth-grade wing was the only area affected and students returned to the wing about two hours after the smells were reported at around 8:45 a.m., Cobbe said.

When the power came back on there was a smell and the students in the sixth-grade wing were evacuated to other parts of the building, including the cafeteria, media center and unused classrooms,” she added.  

The sixth-grade wing was the only area affected and students returned to the wing about two hours after the smells were reported at around 8:45 a.m., Cobbe said.

Hillsborough County firefighters responded to the scene and it was determined that an air handler on the roof “had a couple of hot spots,” Cobbe said. A school district air conditioning technician went to the school and made the necessary repairs, she added.