HVAC unit smokes, causes evacuation at Fort Mill school

Banks Trail Middle School in Fort Mill was evacuated briefly today after a malfunctioning heating unit caused some smoke to spew out in part of the building.

No one was injured and school resumed shortly after, officials said.

The incident occurred shortly after noon when a blower inside an HVAC unit broke down. The smoke appeared in the seventh grade wing, which happened to be empty at the time, Principal Michael Pratt wrote in an email to parents.

“During that time, the 7th grade wing was clear of students due to their normal related arts schedule of classes, which are located in a separate wing,” Pratt’s email said.

“The administration pulled the fire alarm and followed fire evacuation protocols by clearing all staff and students from the building. When the problem was identified and remedied, the Fire Marshall cleared students to return to the gym. By 1:30 PM this afternoon all students were able to have lunch and returned to their normal class schedule,” he wrote.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 3:42 PM with the headline "HVAC unit smokes, causes evacuation at Fort Mill school."