SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - School was cancelled at J. H. Sissons School on Wednesday after diesel fumes were pumped into the school overnight when a piece of material got sucked into a boiler and blocked fresh air from circulating in the facility.

J. H. Sissons School was closed due to diesel fumes on Wednesday. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo

Metro Huculak, superintendent of Yk Education District No. 1, said this was the first time for such an occurrence at the school. He said the fresh air intake to the boiler became blocked during the night.

"Something got sucked up - a rag of some kind, and it blocked the fresh air intake. Of course, there wasn't a clean burn and diesel fumes were going into the school," he said.

He said the school was closed Wednesday while the fumes dissipated. He also said the maintenance team at the school will ensure the boiler rooms are totally cleaned and nothing is left lying about, to avoid a repeat occurrence.

"What it is was, I think, is it was very windy last night," he said Wednesday. "Somebody went out the exterior door in the boiler room and probably the wind moved something around and once the boiler came on, it was sucking air, so that's what happened. We just have to take extra precautions to make sure nothing's left lying around."

"The fire department came and they were sucking out air and the school will be ready to go (Thursday)."

Craig MacLean, the Yellowknife fire department's deputy chief of operations, said although an unofficial report had not been written as of Wednesday, firefighters on site at about 8:30 a.m. said the site was stable after checking on the carbon monoxide levels.

"Carbon monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion ... Carbon monoxide is a very dangerous product and seeing as it was in an area where there is usually an exposable group, like kids, we were requested to go there and check out the air quality."

Students were back at school yesterday.

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