Crime & Safety
Geneva High School Evacuated Due to Smoke; Students Return to School, All OK
An overheated fan causes some smoke and a half-hour evacuation Thursday at Geneva High School.
Geneva High School students were evacuated from the building from about 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, after an overheated fan motor caused some smoke.
Students were evacuated from the school into the practice field south of the building, in the area of the old Burgess Field.
Fire Chief Steve Olson said it appeared that a fan motor overheated, and a Geneva School District press release said later that a power outage caused the fan motor issue. Smoke then poured into the dance studio adjacent to Mack Olson Gym.
Police shut down McKinley Avenue to clear access for fire trucks and at least one ambulance.
Buses are running on the usual schedule. Parents who pick up students are asked to do so at the north side of the building Thursday. Geneva police will be assisting with traffic, an automated phone call from School District 304 said at around 2:55 p.m.
