Encinal School students evacuated their classrooms Thursday morning (Dec. 21) when a fire alarm sounded -- the result, it was later determined, of a bag of overheated microwave popcorn whose fumes set off the smoke detector.

Principal Sharon Burns sent out an email message about the incident, which occurred at 11:10 a.m. at the Atherton elementary school. She said that as the evacuation was carried out, "staff took control of the situation in a calm and confident manner."

Firefighters responded to the scene and helped school staff assess the cause of the sounding alarm.

In fitting fashion for the leader of an educational institution, Ms. Burns turned the episode into a learning experience, writing: "This event serves as a huge reminder for parents not to park in the red zones of the carpool lane. This path must always be clear for emergency vehicles, no exceptions."

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