 "Photo: Stephen Durda")
Hundreds of distressed middle and high school cheerleaders and their counselors were evacuated from University Towers Thursday night.
The cause of the hysteria and nearly two hours of attention from the Austin Fire Department, Austin Police Department and Austin Emergency Medical Services: burnt popcorn.
Acting Division Chief Harry Evans said more than 600 cheerleaders were evacuated from the building following a Hazardous Material Alarm at 11:05 p.m. at the off-campus dorm.
"There was some disbelief," Evans said following the discovery of the irritant. "What happens is - it's phenomenal - once somebody gets sick, other people begin to get sick, and it just escalates."
The cheerleaders were staying at the dorm while participating in the Universal Cheerleaders Association camp held at the University for students grades six through 12. Groups of cheerleaders carried their fellow athletes, who believed they were suffering respiratory distress from a serious irritant, away from the building.
Vanessa Alvaiado, 14, said she and her roommates were preparing for bed when they were told to evacuate the building.
"It was crazy," Alvaiado said. "Our coaches said 'Don't come out of your room for anything,' and the coaches weren't here because they went to Wal-Mart, so we were like, 'What are we gonna do,' and we just ran."
Evans said initial numbers showed nearly 200 cheerleaders were reporting symptoms. No one required transport to the hospital because, Evans said, many were responding with sympathetic reactions to others who they believed were sick.
"In the end we had several girls coming down [to the established triage station], all of them having sympathetic reactions as well," Evans said. "That's all it is."
Duke Turpin, shift commander on duty, said sympathetic reactions are more common among such a group.
"It's a little more commonplace with the age group that's here," Turpin said.
Evans said a large number of units, which included fire trucks, ambulances and police cars, responded because of the potential danger associated with the alarm. He said some initially believed an individual in the building may have had mace.
"I'd rather be laughing about this than have somebody really sick or hurt," Evans said.
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