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A suspected chlorine gas leak prompted an evacuation at a Canal Park apartment building late Tuesday morning, closing a stretch of South Lake Avenue for several hours.
The Duluth Fire Department was called about 9:30 a.m. to The Suites at Waterfront Plaza, 325 S. Lake Ave., after reports of possible chlorine in the air. Crews found a pool chemical spill in the basement utility room and evacuated the building’s basement and first floor as a precaution. Other residents were told to shelter in place while firefighters monitored air quality.
Low levels of chlorine gas were detected, officials said. Members of the department’s hazardous materials response team — operating out of Station 7 in a 40-foot state-owned rig known as CAT31 — contained the spill and ventilated the building.
Residents and staff were cleared to return shortly after 1 p.m., and the 300 block of South Lake Avenue reopened to traffic.
No injuries were reported, and authorities said there is no ongoing public safety risk.
The Duluth Fire Department is one of 11 state-designated hazardous materials teams. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office coordinates their operations, along with other special response units including bomb squads, urban search and rescue, and air rescue teams.
