Strange Odor Prompts Evacuation at Middle School

A suspicious odor at a Barrow County middle school prompted school officials to take precautionary measures which temporarily disrupted classes.

On Aug. 19, just after 7 a.m., a Barrow County Sheriff's deputy was patrolling Bear Creek Middle School when a school official approached and advised there was a suspicious odor in the school.


According to Cindy Beggs, administrative assistant with Barrow County Schools, a dry trap in one of the plumbing lines allowed a sewer odor to enter the building.

"The school took a precautionary measure  by calling the fire department and evacuating the building because their initial thought was that there might be a gas leak somewhere," Beggs wrote in an email to Barrow Patch. "Classes were re-routed around the area for a brief time while they were working on the line."

The maintenance department addressed the situation and was able to keep any sewer gas from making its way into the building, Beggs added.