UPDATED 1:45 p.m.: Students and teachers were evacuated from Stuart-Hobson Middle School Thurday afternoon when a fire was reported at the Northeast campus.
The “fire” turned out to be an issue with a fluorescent light ballast. But eight students and one teacher told emergency responders that their eyes were burning, irritated by the odor, said D.C. Fire & EMS spokesman Lon Walls.
HazMat teams searched the building, and the students and teacher were treated onsite after the 12:11 p.m. call; no one was transported to the hospital.
DCPS spokeswoman Melissa Salmanowitz said students were re-entering the school at 1:30 p.m., and the school day is continuing as scheduled.
An earlier version of the story has been posted below.
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Students and teachers have been evacuated from Stuart-Hobson Middle School as HazMat teams search for an unknown substance.
Eight students and one teacher at the Northeast campus told emergency responders that “their eyes are burning.” D.C. Fire & EMS spokesman Lon Walls said that none of the nine have been transported to hospitals, but are being evaluated on-scene.
The call came in at 12:11 p.m. As of 12:45 p.m., students remain evacuated as teams try to determine what was burning children’s and staff’s eyes.
At the last official count, there were 428 students at Stuart-Hobson, located in north Capitol Hill near Union Station.
