A Wakefield High School student was sent to the hospital Friday morning after being exposed to fumes in a shop class.
The Arlington County Fire Department dispatched a hazmat team to the school around 10:30 a.m. after reports of people getting sick in the shop class.
“The Hazardous Materials Team responded and determined the source to be a faulty exhaust hose connected to a laser cutter,” the fire department said on social media. “The room was ventilated to mitigate the issue. Four students were evaluated on scene for non-life-threatening symptoms, and one student was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for further evaluation.”
In a letter to families, below, Wakefield principal Pete Balas said the room where the incident took place “will not be used for the rest of the day while staff complete a review of the equipment and ensure the space is fully ready for instruction.”
Dear Wakefield families,
We want to share information about an incident that occurred today in an engineering classroom. During a lesson that involved using a laser cutting machine, the equipment began to produce smoke. As a safety precaution, the class was immediately relocated, and the fire department was called to assess the situation.
Emergency medical personnel evaluated several students on site out of an abundance of caution. Everyone is safe and no serious injuries were reported. We have spoken to the families of the students who were evaluated by EMS.
The Fire Department quickly cleared the classroom after an inspection. The classroom involved will not be used for the rest of the day while staff complete a review of the equipment and ensure the space is fully ready for instruction.
The safety of our student and staff is always our top priority. We appreciate the quick response of our students, teachers, and first responders.
The room was ventilated to mitigate the issue.
Four students were evaluated on scene for non-life-threatening symptoms, and one student was transported to Virginia Hospital Center for further evaluation.
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) January 16, 2026
