6 months ago
PORTLAND (NEWS CENTER) -- People living in the Read Street area, near Morrill's Corner were allowed to go back home at 10:30 Friday night.
Officials with the Department of Environmental Protection say there was never an explosion at the Americold Logistics building in Portland, as was originally believed.
Instead DEP officials say a large cooling unit fell from the ceiling which likely made a noise similar to an explosion.
The falling unit released some of the ammonia from the pipes used at the storage facility.
Late Friday firefighters and police fanned out throughout the neighborhood and began asking people to leave their homes. Residents who decided to stay were asked to remain indoors and keep their windows and doors closed while the ammonia dispersed. Metro buses were brought in to provide warmth and temporary shelter for people who decided to evacuate. Cheverus high school was also opened as a temporary shelter.
Late Friday night Portland firefighters and refrigeration experts stopped the leak. Fire Chief Fred Lamontagne says the building was vented, and at no time was there any ammonia detected in the nearby neighborhood.
The chief says firefighters will remain on the scene much of the weekend, to finish mopping up.
No one was hurt.
NEWS CENTER
