THORNDIKE — The start of classes at Mt. View School was slightly delayed Thursday, Oct. 10, after school staff activated the school’s fire alarm, Waldo County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jason Trundy wrote in a post on the department’s Facebook page. 

The alarm was pulled after by the staff member when they smelled gas in one of the science lab classrooms, with fire, law enforcement, and gas company personnel responding to the scene. 

All students were cleared from the school when the alarm was activated and held on school buses in a safe area until the fire department cleared the school, according to the post. 

After investigating the origins of the smell, staff and emergency personnel were able to determine the smell that was detected in the classroom was coming from a small amount of gas released by a gas valve on one of the tables in the room. 

Classes began after the smell was located and school staff was able to reignite the pilot lights in a kitchen area.