SWEET HOME, Ore. — Fire and medical personnel responded to a grocery store in Safeway for a reported natural gas leak that was making some employees sick on Tuesday morning.
According to Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District officials, firefighters were sent to a reported hazardous materials incident at a Safeway store on Main Street at about 10:20 a.m. on October 1. Firefighters said they used a gas monitor in an area of the building that strongly smelled of sulfur, and the device alerted to the presence of carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, toxic gases. Firefighters said the source of the gases was in an area with various cleaning chemicals, a floor sink, and natural gas-powered water heaters. The Safeway was evacuated as firefighters called in more help from Northwest Natural Gas and state hazardous material teams.
Firefighters said they eventually determined the source of the gases was not the building’s natural gas system, and they were in fact coming from several batteries in a floor cleaning machine and a pallet jack. Firefighters said the batteries had failed when charging and were producing carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide. Firefighters said they removed the machines from the building and cleared out the toxic gas with fans…