Update: Evacuation Lifted in Pueblo

Hours after a hydrogen leak forced evacuations and closed lanes on the East side of Pueblo, businesses reopened for employees.

A spokesman for Trane in Pueblo said about a handful of their employees were working at the time. They were part of the evacuation. But Mitch Meminger said another group of employees hoping to get to work around 7 p.m. had to turn around and go back home.

The leak happened at a storage tank outside B.F. Goodrich on Thursday night. It forced an evacuation of a 1/2 mile radius around the plant. Police also shut down highway 50 in both directions between Baxter and 25th Lane as a precaution. It was because of the explosive nature of hydrogen.

Officials said a grass fire near the hydrogen storage tank started off the chain of events. The fire has been put out.