COLDWATER (WTVB ) - It wasn’t a drill yesterday at the Branch County Courthouse, where the building was evacuated late Wednesday morning after workers in the basement reported a natural gas odor. County administrator Bud Norman said county complex staff confirmed the smell but when they weren’t able to pinpoint where it was coming from or exactly what the odor was, Michigan Gas Utilities was notified and M-G-U advised the courthouse be evacuated.
About 80 people were escorted from the facility with the courthouse annex just to the east of the courthouse used as a staging area. Norman said M-G-U inspectors didn’t discover any measurable level of gas and about an hour later the all-clear directive was issued. Officials suspect the smell could have possibly originated from a back draft through the courthouse ventilation system caused by yesterday’s blustery weather conditions.
Norman said county officials will be doing a complete review of how the evacuation went and what might be done to improve on possible problem areas that could be addressed before any future incidents that might require the courthouse or other county buildings to be cleared.
