An unusual smell prompted an evacuation and a hazardous materials response at a Baltimore high school Thursday afternoon, the AP reports. But after five people were taken to the hospital complaining of upset stomachs, fire officials discovered the source of the smell: a pumpkin spice air freshener. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School was evacuated after students and teachers detected a strong smell on the third floor. "It was a smell that they certainly weren't used to [and] it appeared to be getting stronger," the school's president, who wasn't at the school at the time, tells the Baltimore Sun. Several people reported difficulty breathing, and the principal got everyone out of the building.
The fire department and a hazardous materials team were called, and multiple tests for hazardous materials came back negative. Firefighters simply opened the windows in the school to let fresh air in. Then, firefighters located a pumpkin spice air aerosol plugged into an outlet in a classroom. A fire department spokesman tells the AP two students and three adults were taken to the hospital for stomach ailments. Classes at the school resumed Friday. Per the Sun, a notice on the school's website noted that "our school counselor will be available to meet with any students that may need to talk about today's events."
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