Local

Gaston Co. high school evacuated due to odor of smoke

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Gaston County school was evacuated Friday morning because of the smell of smoke on the second floor, according to a news release.

Eddie Burgess, a school resource officer at East Gaston High School, noticed the smell of the smoke around 10:30 a.m. School officials evacuated the building and the fire department was called.

East Gaston Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Ricky Brown advised the smoke was produced by an HVAC motor in a classroom near the senior dining area.

Brown said firefighters used positive pressure fans to clear the smoke from the building and then checked the area to make sure it was clear of carbon monoxide before letting students and faculty back in the building.

Students and faculty were evacuated for about 30 minutes.