Thoreau Middle School Evacuated After Suspicious Odor

Thoreau Middle School students have returned to class Tuesday morning after a brief evacuation for a suspicious odor.

An email from the school's administration Tuesday morning said students, faculty and staff evacuated the building around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday "as the result of a suspicious odor in the cafeteria area."

Students waited outside for about 15 minutes as the Fairfax County Fire Department arrived and investigated, administrators said.

FCFD determined the odor was not a gas leak or a safety hazard.

"Our students did a phenomenal job of evacuating the building and following safety protocols," administrators wrote in the email.

The source of the odor is not immediately clear. Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.