A dangerous gas was produced at Turlock High School and caused an evacuation of classrooms near the incident, on Tuesday afternoon.

According to Turlock Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Mike Trainor, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a pool chemical supplier accidentally mixed together hydrochloric acid and chlorine.

The Turlock Fire Department was immediately called by THS staff. Upon the arrival firefighters, the students were evacuated from nearby classrooms and a perimeter was established to protect students from walking into the contaminated area. 

Turlock Fire later contacted the Stanislaus County Department of Environmental Resources, who responded with a Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Response Unit to help with decontaminating the area.

The THS Administration, Turlock Police Department, and Turlock Fire Department worked together to make sure students and staff remained safe. 

No injuries were reported due to the mixed chemicals.

By 6 p.m., the incident was resolved.

“The swimming pool was never contaminated and students are currently using the pool for their athletic functions,” said Trainor.