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Three downtown businesses evacuated due to gas smell

The smell was caused by a construction worker applying sealant.

By Roseann Moring
March 20, 2008

Three downtown businesses were forced to evacuate, but reopened a short time later, according to a news release from the Columbia Fire Department.

Sparky's Homemade Ice Cream, 9th Street Video, and Kaldi's Coffeehouse were forced to evacuate because of a gas smell in 9th Street Video.

Firefighters determined the smell was coming from a construction worker applying sealant at a nearby building, 15 S. Ninth St., which is under renovation.

They used combustible gas monitors to determine there was no gas leak of any kind, stated the news release. They placed electric fans in the stores to ensure ventilation.

The evacuations occurred in the wake of the March 14 explosion of a house on McNab Drive, which firefighters determined yesterday was caused by natural gas. The explosion resulted in the death of a former MU professor.

The release stated that people should only use paints, sealants, and solvents in well-ventilated areas and to read all directions carefully prior to use.