A suspicious smell that seemed like gas was enough to clear out a Seattle University building on East Madison Street on Tuesday, as hazmat crews from the Seattle Fire Department moved in to check it out. On-scene air monitoring did not find natural gas inside the structure, but firefighters kept the building and nearby area evacuated while they worked to track down the source of the odor.
Hazmat crews track down reported odor
According to KOMO News, Seattle Fire Department hazmat teams responded Tuesday to the 1100 block of East Madison Street at Seattle University after a report of a possible natural gas leak. Fire officials told the outlet they picked up an odor outside the front of the building that was consistent with natural gas. Air-monitoring equipment did not detect gas inside the part of the building under investigation, but the structure remained evacuated while crews continued to check it out, and the department urged the public to steer clear of the area until the response wrapped up.
Campus safety steps
Seattle University's emergency procedures call for full evacuation when there is a suspected gas leak, with Building Marshals and the Department of Public Safety working alongside local fire crews during incidents, according to Seattle University. The university's guidance also tells people not to head back inside until campus officials or on-scene authorities give a clear signal that the building is safe to reenter.
How crews handle gas reports
Seattle Fire Department Fire Line posts describe hazmat teams using air-monitoring tools and often coordinating with utilities to shut down gas and power lines as a precaution. A recent Fire Line post described crews asking Puget Sound Energy to cut natural gas service and Seattle City Light to turn off electricity at a nearby commercial fire, a step firefighters use to lower the risk to both crews and the public while investigators sort out what is happening. See Seattle Fire Department Fire Line for background on those procedures.
A spate of gas calls this month
The Seattle University response comes on the heels of several other gas-related evacuations around the city in recent weeks. FOX 13 Seattle reported that on July 2 a leak in Madison Park forced evacuations at multiple buildings and prompted a two-block safety perimeter while crews secured a ruptured line. Officials have not publicly identified a cause for the odor at the Seattle University building in the latest reports.
Students, university employees and nearby residents are being urged to follow Seattle University and Seattle Fire Department channels for updates and to wait for a clear on-scene "all-clear" before going back into any evacuated building.
