Students and staff evacuated the building between third and fourth period today after heat from a third floor vent triggered the school’s smoke detectors and fire alarm, administrators wrote in a letter to community members this morning.

When the fire alarm went off at 10:19 a.m., students were walking to their fourth period classes and began evacuating the building. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue services arrived at the scene at 10:25 a.m. 

Sophomore Matthew Lewandowski was walking to his fourth period class when he smelled smoke, he said.

“I assumed it was runoff from whatever caused the alarm,” Lewandowski wrote in an email to The Black & White. “My chest started to get a little tight.”

Since fire drills typically take place during class periods, some students were unsure if the alarm signified that a real emergency had occurred. Senior Julia Wood said that her teacher told students that the evacuation wasn’t a drill.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” Wood said. “I heard Ms. Soukas say it’s not a drill — and obviously not, because the fire trucks showed up.”

For junior Kate Stricker, it was apparent that the alarm wasn’t a drill but the severity of the situation was unclear, she said.

“We will be sharing some feedback to ensure we continue to be better prepared for emergencies,” 10th Grade Administrator Mitzy Seyoum wrote in an email to teachers after the evacuation. 

First responders initially raised a fire truck ladder to the building’s roof, but departed the school without ascending it. First responders informed administrators that staff and students could safely return to the building at 10:40 a.m., administrators wrote in the letter.

Junior Lauren Kim was grateful that the alarm didn’t cause any further disruptions to the school day, and that students didn’t have to wait for a long time in the cold, she said.

“It was definitely a stressful day, and many students didn’t know what was happening,” Kim said. “However, I’m happy that we’re all safe, and that we got to return to school.”