Somers Elementary School temporarily evacuated after refrigerant leak discovered

SOMERS (WITI) -- Students at Somers Elementary School were evacuated Monday morning, October 20th after a refrigerant leak was discovered.

Somers Fire-Rescue was dispatched around 8:18 a.m. for a report of a fire alarm at Somers Elementary School, a 4K-5th grade public school with an enrollment of 465 students.

As they investigated the alarm, firefighters learned that an odorous fluid had spilled onto the floor of the cafeteria area from the ceiling. The Kenosha County Hazardous Materials Team, comprised of specially trained firefighter/technicians from throughout the county, was called to investigate and to prepare for containment.

After meeting with district maintenance staff, it was determined that the substance was propylene glycol, a product commonly used as an anti-freeze agent in HVAC systems.

Approximately 50 gallons of the product spilled.

Students and staff had already orderly exited the building and stayed out of the building for about an hour as the incident was investigated. They were eventually allowed to return to classrooms, but lunch was moved to other locations.

The spill was contained and the area cordoned off.

No students or staff came in contact with the material. There was no danger posed to the air or environment.

Clean-up was left to district staff.

All fire units had cleared the scene by 10 a.m.