Smoke prompts evacuation at Ruskin High School

Ruskin High School students evacuated the building Monday afternoon after smoke was reported in a girls’ restroom.

Kansas City firefighters responded about 1:30 p.m. but soon declared the emergency over and began deploying fans inside the building at 7000 E. 111th St.

School officials dismissed students from classes about an hour earlier than normal, and parents received alerts about the early release, said Ruth Terrell, the school district’s public information director.

Firefighters left the school by about 3 p.m. after clearing the smoke, Terrell said. The fire’s cause remained unknown, she added.

This story was originally published February 29, 2016 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Smoke prompts evacuation at Ruskin High School."