BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – One person was transported to the hospital, and four others were treated on scene after a floor cleaning machine batteries started putting off-gas inside Winn Dixie.
At 5:45 pm on Sunday, Hernando County Fire Rescue was dispatched to the Winn-Dixie at 31100 Cortez Blvd in Ridge Manor for multiple people complaining of breathing problems reported to be from some kind of gas/fumes.
Initial responding units requested a HazMat response due to the potential for a gas leak.
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Upon arrival, crews began treating five people reporting respiratory distress and evacuated the grocery store. One person was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation in stable condition.
HazMat Technicians were able to identify the source of the gas/fumes, which were coming from batteries in a floor cleaning machine.
One of the batteries was visibly swollen and off-gassing. This is a normal process that prevents batteries from catastrophic failure but is extremely dangerous when the batteries are stored indoors or in confined areas.
Lead-acid batteries, which were related to this incident, release hydrogen gas, which is both deadly and flammable/explosive in the correct concentrations.
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The floor cleaning machine was removed from the building and made safe outside. The store reopened to customers just before 8:00 p.m.
No injuries were reported to responders, one civilian was transported to a local hospital, and four civilians were evaluated on the scene but refused transport to the hospital.
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