NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Crittenden Middle School in Newport News was evacuated Monday morning due to a hazmat incident, the Newport News Fire Department said.
Michelle Price, a spokeswoman for the school division, said something went wrong when a teacher was doing an experiment in one of the school's labs. Smoke ended up filling the classroom and then going into the hallway.
Shortly before 10 a.m., the school sent students outside "out of an abundance of caution," Price said.
Police officers and firefighters came to Crittenden just to make sure everything was okay. The Newport News Fire Department called in its Hazardous Materials Team because the source of the smoke was "a chemistry experiment that did not go as planned."
The school was ventilated and by noon students were allowed back inside, although certain areas of the building -- including the classroom and science lab where the experiment occurred -- remained closed for cleaning.
Eight students were evaluated and determined to be unhurt. They were allowed to return to school after their parents were notified. The science teacher was treated for minor injuries and released at the scene.
According to NNFD, the Newport News Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing to investigate.