MURFREESBORO, TN - Shortly after the school day began at Erma Siegel Elementary School in Murfreesboro, students had to be evacuated from the building. The evacuation occurred within 30-minutes of the first bell.
Due to a call about smoke being seen in a classroom, possibly coming from the ceiling, arriving firemen from Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue climbed to the roof of the school to investigate the root of the smoke. It was during that time that concerned parents called WGNS to say that firefighters could be seen on the roof of the school.
At 8:15 AM, traffic on North Thompson Lane in front of the school was stopped to through traffic, as more firefighters arrived to investigate.
By 9AM, the Murfreesboro City Schools confirmed there was no fire to report, but instead a malfunctioning air conditioner belt. The bad belt created the smoke, which is why fire crews were initially called to the city operated school.
Students that were evacuated earlier in the morning were allowed to return to their classrooms by 9:15, and the all clear was given. It will now be up to HVAC technicians to make needed repairs to the faulty A/C unit.
