Classrooms from the Jersey Shore to northeast Pennsylvania and all the way out to Kitsap County, Washington, have been dealing with the kind of warm-up no one ordered: fires breaking out inside heating and ventilation units. A federal safety agency has now stepped in after a series of blazes tied to packaged classroom HVAC systems. So far, no students or staff have been hurt, and districts in the affected communities have shut down the suspect units and shuffled classes while inspectors dig through installation and maintenance paperwork. The sudden cluster has parents on edge and has school leaders taking a hard look at which contractors and products they use when they upgrade classroom HVAC gear.
Federal agency steps in
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has opened a formal investigation into the classroom fires, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. The move follows renewed coverage of several incidents that local officials say all involved similar packaged classroom units. With CPSC involved, the situation now carries the possibility of a federal safety…..