Ellsworth Hall was evacuated Friday afternoon as first responders cleared a hazardous materials call in an attached storage building.
Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical responders were dispatched to a call that initially came in as a fire alarm and was upgraded to a high-level hazmat call around 4:45 p.m. Friday.
Kevin Joles, division chief of LDCFM, said the building houses IT equipment and a data center. He said there was a refrigeration leak.
Freon can be an irritant to the skin or lungs. It is also highly flammable.
Joles said KU facilities and maintenance staff members were able to shut off the leak quickly.
He said crews checked with some students and used monitors to make sure the air quality in Ellsworth was OK. There is no danger to students, Joles said.
Ellsworth Hall, 1734 Engel Road, houses 580 coed residents, according to KU’s website.
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