A reported gas smell forced an evacuation at Transition High School on Milwaukee's N. 36th Street at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, sending firefighters scrambling to secure the building's gas supply and clear it out with fans and ventilation equipment. One person was evaluated at the scene as crews worked to air out the school.
The Milwaukee Fire Department dispatched an engine, a ladder truck and a battalion chief to the scene, according to WISN 12 News, which cited fire department officials. Crews later called in a second ladder truck, needed because of the building's size and the equipment it carries to help ventilate large structures, per the same account. Firefighters secured the gas supply to the building and began ventilating it, the station reported.
A search snippet from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel similarly describes crews airing out the building and setting up fans, and requesting a second ladder truck for additional equipment to help air it out. We Energies was called to the scene and was looking into the situation, the fire department told WISN.
What Remains Unknown
The cause of the gas smell was not immediately known, per fire department information relayed to WISN. Fire officials also said they did not know how long the evacuation would last or where evacuated people were directed. Milwaukee Public Schools had not responded to inquiries about the situation as of publication, according to the station's report.
A School Built Around Second Chances
Transition High School serves as an alternative school, according to the school's website, and its programming is aimed at helping students who are at risk. The Milwaukee Public Schools site says its team creates personalized programs and supports students returning from expulsion, incarceration or other difficult circumstances, and lists three options for students to earn their high school diploma. The school's posted student attendance hours run from 8 to 11 a.m. and from noon to 3:25 p.m., per its website.
Not an Isolated Incident This Week
Tuesday's evacuation follows a separate gas-related closure just a day earlier at another Milwaukee school. A reported HVAC unit connection leak on the roof of Carmen High School of Science and Technology's Southgate Campus led students to be sent home to continue learning online, according to a WISN report. A separate account from WTMJ described that incident as a gas leak that led to an early dismissal, adding that students and staff were safe.
This story is developing, and further details on the cause of the smell, the length of the evacuation, and where students and staff were sent were not immediately available.
