A chemical spill in the University of Toledo’s Wolfe Hall on Thursday afternoon prompted a HAZMAT response and the evacuation of two buildings.

Fire crews were dispatched at 1:59 p.m. Pvt. Sterling Rahe, spokesman for the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department, said someone working in a science laboratory bumped into a beaker or vial containing a chemical.

“Somehow the beaker was broken, and the chemical then leaked out into a sink or a sink area,” he said at the scene. “They noticed some off-gassing, some smoke coming up from that.”

Officials have not yet confirmed what the substance is, he said, but a chemical reaction created vapor. The fourth-floor lab is equipped with a negative-pressure system designed to contain any airborne chemicals or vapors.

“It’s always drawing into the room, so it’s vented that way,” Private Rahe said. “That system was activated right away, so there was no immediate danger to the surrounding rooms or occupants.”

The classroom involved was immediately evacuated, and university police evacuated the remainder of Wolfe Hall, as well as the connected Bowman-Oddy Laboratories. Both buildings house science classrooms and labs.

“There’s no danger to the surrounding building and to the public,” Private Rahe said. He added that no one has reported feeling any ill effects from the incident.

The university contacted a private cleaning company it contracts with, he said. Fire crews remained on scene for a time to communicate with the company, and university officials announced an all-clear about 5 p.m. as crews began to leave. The buildings were subsequently reopened to resume normal activities.

First Published February 6, 2020, 7:49 p.m.