MORENO VALLEY, Calif. — Six students at a Moreno Valley elementary school were evaluated for illness Tuesday morning after a reported odor prompted a hazardous materials response, though fire officials determined no gas leak was present.
Firefighters responded just before 9:15 a.m. to Chaparral Hills Elementary School in the 24800 block of Delphinium Avenue. Staff members had evacuated at least one classroom after detecting an odor they believed to be natural gas, according to the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.
Upon arrival, emergency crews located five students in the school’s office displaying symptoms, leading officials to declare a “Multi Patient Incident,” said Cal Fire spokesperson Tawny Castro.
“Firefighters arrived at the scene of a reported gas leak,” Castro said. “The first arriving unit made contact with an initial five patients in the office.”
A total of six students received medical care and evaluation at the scene by paramedics from American Medical Response (AMR). All six declined transportation to hospitals for further treatment. No other students or faculty members reported signs of illness.
The Riverside County Hazardous Materials Team and technicians from Southern California Gas Co. conducted a thorough sweep of the property.
“The gas company checked the rest of the property as a precaution,” Castro said.
Following the investigation, officials confirmed no gas leak was found. The source of the odor has not yet been identified. All Cal Fire units were released from the scene by 11:30 a.m.
