San Juan Capistrano : Source of Noxious Fumes Stymies School Officials

School officials Wednesday were still unable to determine the source of noxious fumes that prompted an elementary school to evacuate 107 students after some children and teachers suffered headaches and itching eyes and became nauseated.

Dan Crawford, director of maintenance and operations for the Capistrano Unified School District, said an inspection crew from Southern California Gas Co. returned to San Juan Elementary School on Wednesday to check for any potential leaks in the facility’s main gas line. None was found, he said.

The previous day, Crawford said, the possibility that the complaints could have been caused by malfunctioning heaters had been ruled out after the heaters had been inspected by district maintenance personnel and gas company workers.

Crawford said gas at the school, which was shut off Tuesday, has been turned on again. On Wednesday, all students returned to their classrooms. The children who had felt ill, he said, have recovered.

But as a precaution, Crawford said, he will have the classrooms inspected for unusual odors every morning for the next two to three weeks.