CORONA, CALIFORNIA
Hazardous Materials Incident at Centennial High School
Posted on September 8, 2015 by CityofCorona
On Monday, Sept. 7, 2015 at approximately 7:47 p.m. the Corona Fire Department initiated a Hazardous Materials response after responding to a ringing fire alarm at Centennial High School.
Corona Fire crews investigated and discovered what appeared to be light smoke and an odor of electrical equipment overheating in a classroom. Upon further investigation crews found an electronics cleaning machine that was off gassing fumes. A Hazardous Materials response was initiated and a perimeter around the area was established.
During the response, Corona firefighters complained of dizziness and respiratory pain. The custodian of the school also experienced similar symptoms. Three firefighters and the custodian were treated and transported to local hospitals and later released.
The Corona Fire Department mitigated the hazardous materials incident and returned the classroom back to Corona Norco Unified School District officials for follow-up.
This incident is not related to the Bomb Threat reported by the Corona Police Department at the same location earlier this morning.
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Cleaning equipment that was emitting fumes at Centennial High School in Corona sent three firefighters and a custodian to the hospital Monday, Sept. 7, according to the Corona Fire Department.
The hazmat response came about five hours before a bomb threat to the school was phoned in to police. The two incidents were unrelated, officials said.
The school’s fire alarm went off Monday evening, and fire crews discovered “what appeared to be light smoke and an odor of electrical equipment overheating in a classroom,” Fire Department officials wrote in a news release.
Fire crews found that a piece of equipment used to clean electronics was off-gassing fumes. A hazardous materials team was sent in and a perimeter was set up around the area, fire officials said.
Three firefighters and a school custodian experienced dizziness and respiratory pain, and were taken to the hospital. They have been released, officials said.
Just after midnight, the Fire Department “mitigated the hazardous materials incident and returned the classroom back to Corona-Norco Unified School District officials for follow-up,” the release said.
School district officials could not be reached after hours Tuesday for comment. It was the second incident in four days at Centennial High that the Fire Department responded to. A minor gas leak was reported Friday morning in the metal shop, fire department spokeswoman Lynn Mata said. Firefighters were on scene for only about 20 minutes. The district was going to get a plumber to replace a valve, Mata said.
