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Smoke prompts school evacuation in Manteca
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More than 300 primary level students were evacuated from the McParland School Annex Thursday morning after a series of mechanic issues triggered by an offsite PG&E transformer failure sent smoke into the office.

The transformer failure shortly after classes started meant power to the school site was reduced creating issues with equipment such as the heating and cooling system. That in turn generated smoke as motors strained to manage systems with the reduced power load.

The campus has been declared safe by Manteca Fire and Manteca Unified maintenance personnel after PG&E addressed their issues.

Manteca Fire responded with all available engine companies to the London Avenue campus. Manteca Police closed streets so the students escorted by staff could walk safely to the main McParland campus some three blocks away on Northgate Drive.

Parents and emergency contacts were contacted by the district’s notification system advising them by phone calls, emails and texts of the situation and that they could pick up their child at the McParland campus.

Children whose parents were unable to pick them up were taken care of at McParland school until regular dismissal time.

Manteca Unified Deputy Superintendent Clark Burke praised staff and students for an orderly evacuation. He also praised Manteca Fire, Manteca Police, PG&E, and district maintenance staff for their prompt response and effectively dealing with the situation.

“It went smooth,” Burke said of the campus-wide evacuation. “Our number one concern is the safety of students.”

Burke said that some parents or emergency contacts picking up children may have been frustrated by delays. He said that was due to staff making sure that children were being released to the right person. To verify that, it required cross-checking identification that prompted some delays.