Classes to Resume at School Evacuated for Fumes

Classes will resume today at Capistrano Valley High School, where nauseating fumes forced evacuation at the campus Friday and sent 24 students and administrators to the hospital.

“I would expect that everything will be normal and we will do everything like we do every other normal school day,” said Jacqueline Price, a spokeswoman for the Capistrano Unified School District. “But be sure that following the investigation by authorities, the school will move down with action deemed necessary once we know all the details.”

Orange County Fire Dept. Capt. Dan Young said investigators are certain that fumes were deliberately released. However, other details are scarce; police have no suspects and have not determined the chemical composition of the fumes.

“Sometimes when you’re investigating a substance that’s not solid, you may never find out what that substance is because it has dissipated by the time investigators get to the scene,” Young said. “As to who caused this, it may have been a prank, but it was still deliberate. And, if we get that person, he’ll definitely be arrested and be charged with a felony.”

According to school officials, a slight odor was first detected during lunchtime Friday at the 2,400-student school, at 26301 Via Escolar. Administrators immediately evacuated the school.