A fire alarm at West Chicago Community High School went off at approximately 12:12 p.m. on Jan. 26, sending students and staff outside in temperatures that hovered around 7 degrees Fahrenheit. According to The Weather Channel, the real feel outside was -1 degrees Fahrenheit with winds at 12 miles per hour.

Firefighters arrived at the scene by Entrance 1 at approximately 12:16 p.m., just minutes after the alarm was pulled.

Students such as West Chicago Community High School senior Aiden Heerboth were upset that the alarm cut into lunch periods and that they had to stand out in the cold.

“It’s a bunch of bogus-ness. You know, it’s – I’m cold,” Heerboth said.

Classes were engaging in various activities when the alarm went off, leaving students and teachers eager to return inside the warmth and get back to work.

“We were in the LRC having lit circles, and the fire alarm [went off],” English teacher Mary Fremeau said while standing outside the school’s main entrance. “We are freezing – so cold.”

Just four minutes after the firefighters arrived at the scene, students were instructed to stay on the curb to clear the streets and let the firetruck and other cars pass. The all-clear was issued shortly thereafter, and students and staff were allowed back in the building at 12:21 p.m.

According to Scott Albright, Science Division Head, the fire alarm near chemistry classroom 2443 was set off by smoke detected from a Bunsen burner. Although the incident resulted from a malfunctioning alarm, Bunsen burners have been used in science classes for years, and most labs involving them have been conducted countless times without issue.

The smoke was caused by a stoichiometry and reaction prediction-based lab that required students to use the burners.

At 12:43 p.m., administrators at the high school sent out an email to students and parents

Dear Wildcat families:

At approximately 12:12 pm this afternoon, a heat detector was accidentally triggered in a science classroom, prompting the evacuation of the building. The fire department responded quickly, and all students were able to return to the building safely with minimal disruption. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank our students and staff for their prompt response in ensuring an orderly evacuation and return.

West Chicago Community High School

District 94