There was no threat to the public when Pittsburgh’s Hazardous Materials team was dispatched to the Strip District Thursday evening, officials said.
The team responded to a report of a suspicious odor at 32nd Street and Spruce Way. Public safety officials said employees of a business in the area had noticed the odor coming from a sealed barrel just before 5 p.m.
First responders were directed to a 55-gallon drum where metal shavings from a sander were stored in water. This caused some type of reaction, but public safety officials did not provide additional details.
The building was safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. Officials said there was no risk to the public.
Responders stabilized the contents of the barrel.
The hazmat team is a joint effort between the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and the Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS.
