Probe Launched After Chromebook Smoke Shutters Ketcham High School

WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY — An investigation is underway after a student Chromebook started emitting smoke at Roy C. Ketcham High School Monday, which prompted officials to dismiss school early.

Dwight Bonk, superintendent of the Wappingers Central School District, said Wednesday an investigation into the incident is ongoing and being led by the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators believe the incident is related to a TikTok trend, Capt. John Watterson, of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office, said Wednesday.

In the social media trend, students have been putting conductive items like paper clips and pushpins into laptops, causing them to emit smoke and sparks.

“The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed,” Watterson said. “It was not an actual fire. The laptop overheated and released smoke and fumes.”

Watterson did not have an estimate on how long the investigation will take. It is being done in conjunction with the school district.

There have been multiple cases of Chromebooks emitting smoke and fumes in Connecticut and prompting school evacuations recently. The incidents prompted several school superintendents to issue alerts to parents about the trend, asking them to speak to their children about the dangers. In Connecticut, the practice has damaged Chromebooks and even caused some to catch fire, according to school officials.

According to Bonk, the local incident activated a fire alarm because of the smoke coming from a student-issued Chromebook in one of the classrooms. It created enough lingering smoke and odor to necessitate an early dismissal, he said, in a notice to parents.

“The District made the decision out of an abundance of caution to dismiss the entire building,” the notice states.

The Chromebook from Ketcham High School is now with the New York State Fire Department, which is assisting in the investigation. No one was injured in the incident.