UPDATE: Smoke smell at West Richland school may be linked to heaters

A West Richland teacher spotted smoke Tuesday morning, which may have come from Leona Libby Middle School’s heaters.

The smoke was seen shortly after a maintenance worker turned a heater on, after having it off for about an hour, said Benton County Fire District 4 Chief Bill Whealan.

The teacher pulled the fire alarm, and students and staff were evacuated. No one was injured.

Triggering the alarm shut down the heating and air conditioning system, a measure to keep the ventilation system from circulating smoke. But the move meant firefighters couldn’t see or smell the smoke when they arrived.

They moved the students and staff back inside to the gym after determining it was safe.

When officials turned the heaters back on, smoke was smelled in different rooms, Whealan said.

Students returned to class before noon.

This is the second time in two months smoke was seen at the new West Richland middle school.

While investigators initially believed an LED emergency light in the east equipment room sent smoke into the heating and air conditioning system, they suspect the smoke and the smell came from the system.

The school, which holds 688 students, opened its doors this fall, and Whealan said a new heating system can come with new smells when it starts up.

This story was originally published January 8, 2018 at 10:25 AM with the headline "UPDATE: Smoke smell at West Richland school may be linked to heaters."