Oct. 21--Five people were treated at Akron hospitals Saturday after a fire involving chemicals in a University of Akron science lab.
Akron firefighters received a report at 9:36 a.m. of fire and fumes at the College of Arts and Sciences building at 290 E. Buchtel Ave. They arrived three minutes later, finding smoke in one room and fumes in other rooms.
The fire had apparently already been extinguished when firefighters arrived, according to a dispatcher.
UA, in a notice on its website, described the fire as a "small flash fire" and said it was extinguished quickly. The notice said the Akron Fire Department evacuated the building as a safety precaution. "Proper ventilation in the building has been restored, no rooms were damaged, and the building as a whole has reopened for business," UA said in the notice, issued before noon.
UA spokeswoman Laura Massie said that by late Saturday afternoon, two undergraduate students, a graduate student, professor and UA police officer had been released from area hospitals. Three were treated at Akron General Medical Center and two were treated at Akron City Hospital.
The chemicals involved in the incident were carbon disulfide and stearic acid, according to the dispatcher.
Carbon disulfide, a highly flammable liquid, is used in various industrial and agricultural processes. Stearic acid is a naturally occurring acid used in the manufacture of candles and cosmetics, among other products.
The lab, which was closed Saturday afternoon, has a sign outside identifying it as a "soils research lab."
Katie Byard can be reached at 330-996-3781 or [email protected].
Copyright 2012 - The Akron Beacon Journal
