Noxious odor forces 1st floor evacuation of Winthrop Apartment Building

Incident Date:  5/6/14
Issuing Officer: Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: 776 Commerce Ave
Incident Type: Haz-Mat

Narrative:  At 4:20 pm firefighters were called for a report of a noxious smell on the first floor of a multi-story apartment building.

The first arriving company noted occupants complaining of respiratory distress and upgraded the incident to a hazardous materials incident  - bringing additional resources to the scene. Operationally, the first floor of the building was evacuated, while the remaining occupants were sheltered in place. As there was no obvious source of the odor, haz-mat technicians used air monitoring equipment to determine there was no additional life safety hazard. Occupants were able to return to the apartments at approximately 6:30 pm.

The source of the odor was undetermined and facility maintenance is exploring possible mechanical causes.

Four occupants were evaluated at the scene and one was transported by private ambulance with an unrelated medical condition.

Arson Awareness Week May 4-10, 2014

This year, Arson Awareness Week is May 4-10 and focuses on vehicle arson. Follow the link above to learn the most common motives for setting vehicle fire and vehicle arson statistics.

Tips to prevent vehicle arson:

• Park your car in a well-lit area.


• Use a secure parking lot for extended periods.


• Close all windows.


• Remove the key from the ignition.


• Always lock doors, trunk and tailgate.


• Use antitheft devices.


• Report abandoned cars to the police.


• Don’t leave valuables in plain sight.


• Use a recovery system, such as GPS or Lojack