At approximately 12:20 p.m. Thursday afternoon, the Effingham Fire Department was called to The Early Learning Center due to a staff member smelling a bad odor. The building was evacuated and all students were accounted for.
According to Effingham Fire Chief Joe Holomy, the cause of the the alarm was likely a malfunctioning furnace. Students returned to the building at 12:58 p.m. to resume their day after the Fire department declared that everything was safe.