An Eagle River middle school was closed for the day Monday morning due to a smell in the building, which was ultimately tracked back to an attempt to clear a clogged drain.
Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Alex Boyd said the incident at Gruening Middle School, 9601 Lee St., was reported at 9:37 a.m. A responding crew determined that the odor was not from hazardous materials.
"The school was evacuated while they cleared the air," Boyd said.
No injuries were reported, Boyd said.
Gruening evacuated due to odor. Parents please pick up your child from ER High. If you can’t pick up, normal buses will run after school.
— ASD Information (@ASD_Info) March 6, 2017
Anchorage School District spokeswoman Heidi Embley said the substance, which was detected at about the time classes began Monday, had a smell "similar to sulfur."
Embley said the smell was caused by a liquid enzyme drain cleaner, which an employee was using Monday morning to clear a clogged drain in the building. The cleaners contain a mix of enzymes and bacteria intended to digest pipe clogs.
Parents of Gruening students were asked to pick them up from Eagle River High School at 8701 Yosemite Drive. School buses would also take students home after the end of the school day.
The odor is expected to dissipate before Gruening's roughly 600 students return for classes Tuesday, Embley said.