HOULTON, Maine — Students at Houlton Middle-High School received an extended recess break Thursday afternoon after the school’s smoke detection system notified authorities.
Houlton Fire Chief Milton Cone said that his department was notified of the alarm shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters responded to the school at 7 Bird St., and discovered that an exhaust fan in the school’s welding classroom had not been activated.
Cone said had the exhaust fans been properly turned on, the alarms in all likelihood would not have been triggered.
“The school’s alarm system was functioning as it is supposed to and notified us of a problem,” the chief said. “Fortunately, there was no fire at the school and no other problems were found upon our inspection.”
Students returned to their classrooms after a roughly 15-minute delay.
