UPDATED: COACHELLA: 700 students return to classes after second RivCo middle school gas leak in 5 days

UPDATED: Tuesday, Oct. 17 2:30 p.m.

COACHELLA — A gas leak at Bobby G. Duke Middle School in Coachella has been rendered safe and students have been allowed to return to their classrooms, according to fire and school officials.

The leak was reportedly caused by a construction worker who accidentally hit and slightly damaged a natural gas pipe.

SEE SIMILAR: JURUPA VALLEY: Natural gas odor in classrooms, bathroom, forces evacuations

SEE SIMILAR: INDIO: 22 sickened, 6 hospitalized, 1,900 evacuated after school haz-mat emergency

School officials decided to evacuate the middle school as a precautionary measure after the leak was reported this morning shortly before 8:30 a.m. During the hour-long evacuation, students were seen sitting and standing outside, with many talking among themselves under shaded areas.

Firefighters remained at the school for about one hour while Southern California Gas Company officials shut off gas to the affected pipe and ensured there were no other immediate dangers to students or faculty.

In a social media release after the school was deemed safe, school officials wrote, “Bobby Duke Middle is open and back to business. Thank you site staff and district support team for ensuring everyone’s safety.”

There were no reported injuries related to the incident.

 

ORIGINAL STORY: 700 students evacuated after second RivCo middle school gas leak in 5 days

COACHELLA — Cal Fire and Southern California Gas Company officials are at the scene of a natural gas leak that forced the evacuation of 700 middle school students, according to fire officials.

The gas leak and mass evacuation – that was reported this morning, Tuesday, Oct. 17 – affected all students, teachers and other staff members at Bobby G. Duke Middle School at 85358 Bagdad Avenue in Coachella.

Officials have not yet specified if the students were evacuated from the school property or if parents had been contacted to pick up their children; however, students could be seen standing, sitting and milling about in shaded areas within the school property.

Fourteen firefighters from three engine companies and one truck company responded to the reported gas leak at 8:22 a.m., Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Public Information Officer Jody Hagemann explained in an incident report.

Firefighters are being assisted by at least two American Medical Response ground ambulances; however officials not yet been specified if the ambulances were summoned as a precautionary measure or if there were any injuries related to the incident.

Southern California Gas Company officials are assisting firefighters and School District officials to determine the source of the leak and render it safe.

Today’s gas leak-related evacuation was the second such incident involving a Riverside County middle school in the last five days; however, the two incidents do not appear to be related in any way. Last week’s gas leak and evacuation happened Thursday, Oct. 12, at Jurupa Middle School in Jurupa Valley.

That incident began when students and faculty members reported smelling natural gas in two classrooms and one bathroom. The odor forced the evacuation of the three rooms. The incident was report about 9:30 a.m., and the leak was contained to the two classrooms and bathroom. There were no reported injuries related to last week’s incident.

No further information or updates have been provided.

This is a developing story that will be updated as information becomes available.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.