NORTHVILLE, Mich. – Northville's Silver Springs Elementary School was evacuated Tuesday afternoon while firefighters investigated smoke coming from a computer lab in the school.
A smoke investigation showed the smoke actually was coming from a heating unit on the roof of the building, not from inside the computer lab. Firefighters gave the all-clear and students were allowed back in the school.
The kids were placed on buses to keep warm while they were not allowed in the building.
Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher released this statement about the evacuations:
For your information, Silver Springs Elementary School was evacuated today at approximately 10:40 a.m., as the result of report of a burning smell. While the fire department, DTE and district officials were contacted, buses were dispatched as quickly as possible to Silver Springs, to keep students safe and warm while the source of the burning order was investigated. Students who were evacuated immediately were provided with their coats/outerwear as quickly as possible.
All students were safely evacuated and accounted for, while the Fire Department investigated the concern. The source of the burning order was a motor in a roof top ventilation unit, likely caused by the brown-out yesterday associated with the DTE issue.
As of 11:15 a.m., the Fire Department Incident Commander declared the building safe for return to classrooms. Buses moved off site after they were loaded, and as of the time the All-Clear was given, returned students to Silver Springs. School will remain in session for the balance of the day.
Students and staff handled the entire event exceptionally well, and our transportation department provided buses within a short window of time. The Fire Department Incident Commander provided very positive feedback regarding how the school staff and students handled this situation, and likewise remarked on how quickly buses arrived to assist with the evacuation.
Thank you, as always, for everyone's cooperation as we strive to ensure the safety and security of all of our students.
DTE Energy cable failure caused Monday power outage
DTE Energy released this statement on the school's power outage:
An underground cable failure on Monday morning caused a power outage at Silver Springs Elementary School in Northville. While DTE Energy crews work to repair the damage, the utility provided a generator to the school and hooked it up Monday night. An electrical motor on the school's heating unit failed Tuesday morning, creating the odor that caused the temporary evacuation. DTE responded to the scene and investigated the incident and could find no relationship between the generator and the faulty motor. At this point, the timing of the two incidents appears coincidental. The investigation is continuing. In the meantime, DTE crews are replacing the cable that failed and power is expected to be restored Tuesday night.