Burrell's Huston Middle School delays classes after equipment failure leads to smoke

Charles A. Huston Middle School in Lower Burrell operated on a two-hour delay Thursday morning after an air-handling unit malfunctioned.

“We had an air handler failure on the roof of the kitchen,” Superintendent Shannon Wagner said.

“The fire department responded to the situation and identified it was an equipment failure on the roof.”

The air handler began to smoke and that smoke entered the kitchen, setting off the fire alarm in the kitchen at around 6:45 a.m., Wagner said.

Air handlers assist in regulating the circulation of indoor air and the temperature of the air in a building.

All other Burrell School District schools are operating on a normal schedule.

There is no damage to the building, Wagner said.

The school was ruled clear to enter.

Wagner anticipates the equipment to be fixed sometime Thursday. She said the school’s HVAC technician is able to replace the air handler once it gets access to a motor.