Natural gas odor prompts emergency response at northern Colorado Springs office park

Several hundred workers were evacuated Tuesday morning from a hotel and four office buildings on the northeast end of Colorado Springs Tuesday morning.

The Colorado Springs Fire Department said a strong natural gas odor was reported around 9:30 a.m. in multiple office buildings in the 9900 block of Federal Drive, south of the intersection of Voyager and Interquest parkways.

“There was a strong smell when we arrived,” Capt. Steven Oswald said. “I think it got into the ventilation systems of the buildings, and that led the people inside to evacuate.”

Oswald said firefighters and Colorado Springs Utilities searched the buildings and did not find a gas leak. The odor dissipated and employees were allowed to return to work around 10:30 a.m.

The affected businesses included Bal Seal Engineering, Boeing, Ford Motor Credit, Hampton Inn & Suites and Lockheed Martin. There were no reported injuries.

Authorities are unsure if the odor came from a gas leak or an accidental release of mercaptan, a chemical injected into natural gas lines to produce a recognizable odor.

Natilia Sibert, a spokeswoman for Colorado Springs Utilities, said she wasn’t aware of any crews working in the area, or of any equipment problems.

“This situation, I would say, is very unusual,” Sibert said.

Crews continued to search for the source of the odor on Tuesday afternoon.