Gas Smell Forces UCHealth Clinic Evacuation

A natural gas smell emptied a UCHealth clinic in north Colorado Springs this week, sending staff and patients outside until crews cleared the building. (patch.com) Patch reported the evacuation was brief and that everyone got out safely while utility workers and building engineers checked the facility for a leak. The clinic reopened after testing found no active leak, officials said. (patch.com) Natural gas is odorless on its own, so utilities add an odorant that smells like rotten eggs to help people notice a possible leak. Colorado Springs Utilities says that smell is a warning sign, not proof by itself that gas is actively escaping inside a building. (csu.org) Colorado Springs Utilities tells customers who smell gas to leave the area first and avoid anything that could create a spark before calling for help. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission gives the same advice and says people should wait for utility or emergency crews to say it is safe to return. (csu.org) (puc.colorado.gov) That is why clinics, schools and offices often evacuate before anyone confirms a leak. In Colorado Springs in September 2023, widespread gas-smell reports were traced to a mercaptan odorant spill rather than a dangerous systemwide leak. (koaa.com) UCHealth runs hospitals and outpatient sites across Colorado, including Memorial Hospital Central, a 413-bed hospital in Colorado Springs, and multiple outpatient locations tied to its Memorial system. A temporary evacuation at one clinic can disrupt appointments even when testing finds no active hazard. (uchealth.org) By the end of the inspection, the north Colorado Springs clinic was back in service and the gas smell had not turned into a confirmed leak. The episode ended the way these calls are supposed to end: evacuation first, testing next, reopening only after crews say the building is clear. (patch.com) (puc.colorado.gov)