OAKFIELD – Middle and high school students in the Oakfield School District were sent home Friday, May 8, after staff reported a burning odor inside Oakfield Middle/High School, authorities said.
Burning odor prompts evacuation at Oakfield Middle/High School
A school resource deputy with the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to Oakfield Schools, was working at Oakfield Elementary about 9:30 a.m. when a staff member reported the odor at the middle/high school, the sheriff’s office said.
The deputy responded and notified the sheriff’s office communications center, which dispatched the Oakfield Fire Department. Students and staff were evacuated as a precaution.
Crews investigate suspected freon leak from rooftop unit
Oakfield Fire was joined by Oakfield first responders, Waupun Fire, RIT Team 4, Lamartine Fire, Brownsville Fire, Lifestar Ambulance and Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue, officials said.
A member of the Fond du Lac Fire/Rescue hazmat team helped identify the source of the odor. Preliminary findings showed elevated freon levels in the building, believed to have come from a rooftop air conditioning unit and migrated into an office area, officials said. The district’s HVAC contractor is reviewing the exact source.
Oakfield Middle and High School students released for the day
District administrators released middle and high school students for the rest of the day, officials said.
Students who drove were released first, followed by bus riders, then students picked up by parents or guardians.
Oakfield Elementary remained in session and continued normal operations.
No injuries reported
No injuries were reported, officials said. The sheriff’s office said no additional information would be released Friday, and updates would be provided as they become available.
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Elevated freon levels found after Oakfield Middle/High School evacuation
Reporting by Brandon Reid, Fond du Lac Reporter / Fond du Lac Reporter
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