Hazmat situation at Amazon warehouse
KNXV
AUGUST 19, 2015
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Some tense moments at an Amazon facility Wednesday morning after a 55 gallon drum filled with butane started leaking.
Firefighters said an Amazon employee was filling the drum with butane containers when it began to leak.
Employees called 911 and when firefighters arrived they noticed the drum had started to expand.
"Our biggest concern was that the drum could explode," said Cpt. Mark Vanacore with Phoenix Fire Department.
Officials evacuated the building and firefighters called in the Phoenix Police Bomb Squad.
Using a bomb robot, responders drilled a hole in the top of the drum and released all the pressure that had been built up inside.
The Amazon facility is a massive receiving site located near 51st Avenue and Buckeye Road.
The faculty is now running as normal.
Amazon released the following statement: We evacuated our building this morning out of an abundance of caution. The safety of our employees is our top priority.
Firefighters say the butane was not for sale and was scheduled for pick-up by a hazardous waste disposal company.