Fire Evacuates Hudson Valley School; Kids Sent Home

Students at a Hudson Valley school suddenly found themselves heading home early Tuesday after a building-wide evacuation.

According to the Wappingers Central School District, the early dismissal at Wappingers Junior High School was triggered by a fire reported around 12:30pm inside a classroom.

Small Fire Sparks Big Response in Wappingers Falls

School officials say Principal Terrence Thompson was alerted to a small fire inside a trash receptacle in a technology education classroom. While the fire itself was quickly put out, it created enough smoke and a noticeable odor to set off the fire alarm and force everyone out of the building.

That evacuation brought in help from both the Hughsonville and New Hackensack Fire Departments, who responded to the scene and made sure the fire was completely extinguished.

Lingering Smell Forces Early Dismissal

Even though the flames were under control, the aftermath created another issue.

District officials say the fire and the cleanup efforts left behind a strong, unpleasant odor throughout the school. Out of caution for students and staff, the decision was made to send everyone home early.

After-school activities were also canceled for the day.

Back to Normal on Wednesday

The district says the building was being aired out on Tuesday and was expected to be ready for students to return to class on Wednesday morning.

In the meantime, students who needed to grab belongings were allowed back into the school between 3pm and 4pm Tuesday.

School officials also took a moment to thank first responders for their quick work in handling the situation.