Toxic Gas From Lithium-Ion Batteries Cause Medical Center's Evacuation

TAMPA, FL — Hillsborough County Fire Rescue spent Thursday on the scene of a hazardous materials accident at Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care that forced the evacuation of the staff and patients.

Shortly after 10 a.m., fire crews were called to the outpatient care center at 12220 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. for reports of an electrical odor coming from the center's MRI area.

Fire crews determined the scene to be hazardous and evacuated the center's 80 staff members and patients.

Fire crews discovered that a bank of lithium-ion batteries was emitting gas and called for hazardous materials technicians, who cautiously entered the center to determine the level and type of gas.

According to Hillsborough fire rescue, 30 lithium-ion batteries, weighing about 100 pounds each, were swelling and emitting gas. Two of the batteries had ruptured, posing a threat of an explosion that could release toxic gas into the air.

Hillsborough fire rescue sent 18 units and 24 hazmat technicians to the scene along with the Hillsborough County sheriff's bomb squad.

The hazmat team removed the entire rack of batteries weighing more than 3,000 pounds from the building. According to Hillsborough fire rescue, each of the 100-pound batteries will be placed in a sodium bicarbonate neutralizing agent inside 55-gallon drums and then disposed of by a hazardous materials company.

In the meantime, the hospital is being ventilated with fans until hazmat technicians determine the gas has reached a safe level for staff to go back in.

Three people were taken from the scene after being exposed to the gas and another 10 people who were exposed were evaluated and cleared by paramedics.

There were no injuries to first responders.