Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- School officials evacuated Beacon Charter School's 190 students at around 10:38 a.m. today after a furnace malfunctioned, causing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to spread through the school, according to the city fire deparment's deputy chief.

No students were injured or showed signs of carbon monoxide poisoning because teachers were able to get the students out of the building and across the street to the Stadium Theatre. Fire alarms sounded right away, according to Deputy Fire Chief Marcel Bacon. The fire alarm sounded right after the furnace overheated.

Beacon Charter School Principal Rob Pilkington said staff members waited at the theater with students while they arranged for rides, and with those students who had to wait there until the bus came. The high school had planned a half day today, Pilkington said.

The high school leased the building from the Homestead Group, a nonprofit that works with people with disabilities. Robert Carl, Homestead's chief executive officer, said the fire marshal and head of maintenance are at the school but he had no information on how repairs were progressing.

Pilkington said that he would monitor the repairs to determine whether to cancel school for Tuesday.

 Tags  fire department Woonsocket RI

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