An ordinary Thursday lunchtime at Cedar Ridge Elementary School in Grovetown, Georgia, turned into a full-scale emergency response after a mysterious, foul odor spread through the building. The incident led to a complete evacuation and sent 14 students and staff members to a local hospital with symptoms including headaches, nausea, and dizziness.
What was initially feared to be a dangerous gas leak was later identified as something far more unusual: a small bottle of spoiled eucalyptus oil brought to school by a student.
Key Takeaways
- Cedar Ridge Elementary School was evacuated on Thursday after a strong odor caused students and staff to feel ill.
- Fourteen individuals were transported to Wellstar MCG hospital for treatment of symptoms like headaches and abdominal pain.
- Emergency crews, including a hazardous materials team, initially investigated a potential gas leak but found no evidence of one.
- The source of the smell was later determined to be a bottle of oxidized (spoiled) eucalyptus oil found in a trash can.
Emergency Response to an Invisible Threat
The situation began to unfold around noon when a powerful and unpleasant smell permeated the school's cafeteria and hallways. As students and teachers started reporting feeling unwell, school officials initiated an evacuation as a precautionary measure.
Fourth-grader Ava Hickok described the moment the odor spread. "Everyone started coughing," she recalled. Soon after, an announcement came over the school's public address system. "They said something like, ‘Yeah, we know the smell. It’s not really good,’" Ava said. "‘We ask if you could please evacuate the building. This is not a drill.’"
Students who were not showing symptoms were moved to the nearby Grovetown Middle School, while those feeling ill were assessed by emergency medical personnel. A school bus was used to transport 14 children and adults to the Wellstar MCG emergency room.
The Search for the Source
The initial response focused on the possibility of a gas leak, a common cause for such odors. Grovetown Fire Department and the Columbia County hazardous materials team arrived on the scene, setting up a perimeter and deploying specialized equipment to test the air quality.
Conflicting Descriptions
Grovetown Fire Chief Wayne Kent noted the difficulty in identifying the odor, as witnesses described it differently. Some reported a "rotten eggs" smell, while others called it a "chemical smell." This variation in perception made the initial investigation challenging for first responders.
Fire crews quickly ruled out a natural gas leak, as the school is not connected to a gas service line. Their investigation then shifted to other potential sources, such as propane or refrigerant leaks from kitchen appliances or the building's HVAC systems. However, extensive checks and air monitoring equipment found no traces of any hazardous gases. After several hours, emergency crews left the scene, unable to pinpoint the cause.
A Surprising Discovery
The mystery was solved later in the day, not by high-tech sensors, but through simple custodial work. During the cleanup process, a custodian found a bottle in a trash can. Upon opening it, the custodian recognized the smell as being similar to what staff had reported earlier.
The Columbia County School District concluded that the incident was caused by a student who had brought a bottle of eucalyptus oil to school. The oil, often used in aromatherapy diffusers, had oxidized, or gone bad. When the student opened the bottle in the cafeteria, the rancid odor was released and circulated through the building's ventilation system.
What is Oxidized Eucalyptus Oil?
When eucalyptus oil ages or is exposed to air, it undergoes a chemical process called oxidation. This changes its composition and aroma. Instead of its typical sharp, medicinal scent, spoiled eucalyptus oil can develop a dull, sour, or rancid smell. While not typically toxic, the strong, unpleasant odor can be potent enough to cause physical reactions like headaches and nausea in sensitive individuals.
Chief Kent stated that this explanation was plausible, as the smell of oxidized essential oils can be interpreted differently by people, aligning with the varied descriptions his team received.
Parents Face a Frightening Afternoon
For parents, the afternoon was filled with anxiety. Alicia Hickok, Ava's mother, received the call that her daughter was being taken to the hospital. "I dropped everything. Dropped everything and headed straight to MCG," she said.
At the hospital, staff worked to keep parents informed while providing coloring books to occupy the children. The shared experience created a sense of community among the worried families.
"We were all kind of talking about, well, ‘When did you get the call?’ Or, you know, ‘What were you notified of?’ Wasn’t a whole lot of talking because a lot of people were calling their spouses or, you know, grandparents or whatever that they needed to do."
– Alicia Hickok, Parent
This incident marked the second school-related scare for Columbia County parents in just two days. A day earlier, a shooting in Martinez, which involved a student suspect, prompted lockdowns at three other schools in the district.
The eventual discovery of the odor's harmless, albeit unpleasant, source brought a wave of relief. In a letter to families, the school's principal confirmed the cause and announced that classes would resume as normal.
By Friday, the sense of crisis had passed. Children were seen playing on the playground during lunchtime, and no emergency vehicles remained. One parent expressed their gratitude for the school's handling of the situation, saying, "Honestly all I can say is yes, my kiddo is OK and the staff did a great job keeping the kids safe and out of any more danger."
