Students and staff arriving at Dixon‑Smith Middle School, at 503 Deacon Road in Stafford County, this morning got more than they bargained for—a line of emergency vehicles greeting them in the carpool drop‑off lane.
According to the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department, around 8:40 a.m., crews were alerted to the smell of smoke at the school before students had arrived.
Firefighters investigated swiftly and, with the help of school maintenance staff, traced the issue to a malfunctioning HVAC unit. The situation was resolved quickly enough that the building was deemed safe and reopened a short time later.
