The Story Behind the Smelly Smoke at Brooklyn Prospect Charter School

Neighbors of Brooklyn Prospect Charter School may on Saturday have noticed some disconcerting activity coming from the premises—namely, a weird smell and excess of white smoke billowing from the school's chimney.

"It smelled to me like gasoline or some sort of fuel," said one resident on the neighborhood's local listserv, KWTneighbors. "I could smell on my coat when we got home [Friday] night and I could smell it [Saturday] morning too."

Joe Brancaccio, owner of the eponymous eatery located across the street from the school, said he saw several fire engines arrive on the scene at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, with more arriving around 7 p.m.

"We didn't know what the heck it was," he said.

Building manager Rilind Sejdiu told Patch on Monday that the funky fumes were the result of a busted boiler, which Sejdiu said a mechanic repaired on Saturday. 

In spite of its threatening appearance, Sejdiu insisted the smelly smoke wasn't hazardous, and that the issue was cleared up well before students arrived back in class on Monday.

"It was just a little white smoke, more than usual," he said.