Repairs are already underway on the faulty heating, ventilating and air conditioning unit that caused a brief evacuation at the middle school on Thursday, said Larry Tomec, the district’s director of business services. 

The small mechanical failure burnt some of the wiring in the defective transformer, Tomec said, but there was no danger to the students or staff at Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School.

Broadview Heights’ Assistant Fire Chief Joe Fleming said there was probably no visible flame on Thursday—if there was any, it would have been contained inside the heating and cooling unit. The motor started to short and overheat the plastic inside, Fleming said. And, because the motor was used to push hot and cool air through the building, it instead circulated the smoke and odor. 

The short also affected the power, cutting the lights at that end of the building, Fleming added. The motor was on the roof above the 8th grade wing. The fire department was able to disconnect the switch on that unit and restore power quickly. They were only at the building for 30 to 45 minutes, he said.

Repairs should be done by the end of Friday and will likely cost the district less than $1,000, Tomec said. 

The 8^th grade is back in its wing today, after spending yesterday afternoon in the gymnasium. Tomec said the wing had been mostly aired out by Thursday evening. There was no clean-up necessary.