A suspected natural gas leak that caused the evacuation of Oxford High School Monday morning turned out to be just some sewer odor.
The school’s 1,226 students were immediately evacuated shortly after 9 a.m. following what was thought to be the smell of natural gas reported in Room 503, the marketing classroom of teacher Steve Ruch, according to Superintendent Virginia Brennan-Kyro.
Brennan-Kyro said Consumers Energy, Oxford Fire Dept. and Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept. were notified.
Students were evacuated to the school’s northern parking area. They were then directed onto school busses parked along Ray Road to keep warm.
Due to the immediacy of the evacuation students weren’t permitted to stop at their lockers for coats, gloves, hats, etc., Brennan-Kyro said.
Fire Chief Jack LeRoy said his department determined there was no gas leak, just some sewer odor from a disconnected pipe or dry trap that wasn’t capped off. Consumers Energy also confirmed there was no gas leak.
OHS students were permitted to re-enter the building before 10 a.m.