Tuesday, April 13 brought an exciting afternoon for School District 166 students after a science experiment filled the school’s upper halls with smoke and set off alarms. Middle School students who had been evacuated to Bethlehem Lutheran Church across the street from the school file back to school after the Grand Marais Fire Department gave the all-clear announcement.
A science experiment resulted in the evacuation of the Grand Marais campus of School District 166 on Tuesday, April 13. At 2:04 p.m., Cook County Law Enforcement received an automated alarm from the school at 101 West 5th Street reporting a general fire alarm. The alarm—and smoke in the school building’s upper hallway—set evacuation of the school in motion and teachers, support staff, and students exited the building, walking quickly to a safe area—for Sawtooth Elementary, the playground/ parking area, and for the middle and high school, across 5th Street to the Lutheran Church.
Grand Marais Assistant Fire Chief Steve DuChien arrived on scene at 2:08 p.m. and reported that no smoke was visible outside the school building. DuChien entered the building and reported that there was smoke visible inside the school. Facilities Director Mike Groth contacted Law Enforcement dispatch to inform them that the source of the smoke was a science room.
Sheriff deputies, Cook County Ambulance, DNR conservation officers and Grand Marais First Responders arrived to assist with traffic control and the Grand Marais Fire Department was on scene with an engine at 2:13 p.m. It was determined that the smoke was a chemical reaction in the science room. Firefighters donned breathing apparatus and set up ventilation equipment and forced the smoke out of the building.
Students of Sawtooth Elementary and the Middle School were allowed to return to the school 2:17 p.m., however due to lingering smoke, high school students were released for the day at 2:50 p.m.
As students and personnel reentered the building, the News-Herald asked one of the science teachers what had happened. Theinstructor quipped, “We were celebrating science.”
Reached by phone the next day, Superintendent Beth Schwarz, a former science teacher, said the smoke was caused by a routine science experiment. “Theywere doing a demonstration of chemical reaction, combining very small amounts of aluminum, sulfur, and potassium, I believe. I know it can produce a lot of smoke.”
Schwarz said ventilation was working in the science room. She said the problem was that the demonstration was conducted too close to an air intake vent, which shut down and set off the alarm. However, the smoke was contained to the upper hall of the school.
“We probably could have just opened the windows and let it air out. But as long as the fire department was there, we let them handle it,” said Schwarz.
The fire department was clear of the scene by 2:59 p.m.
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