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No county workers were harmed, and the election site was fully secure before the evacuation was completed.
A “hazardous materials” concern forced workers to evacuate a Fresno County elections warehouse for a short time Thursday.
No injuries were reported, and election office workers still delivered Thursday’s expected vote count.
Just before 10 a.m. Thursday, responding firefighters discovered “light smoke” on the second floor of the elections warehouse at 4525 E. Hamilton Ave., inside a room with electrical equipment, city fire spokesperson Joshua Sellers said.
The building was evacuated as a precaution over the potential release of “harmful gases,” county officials said in a media statement, adding that county workers were harmed, and the election site was fully secure before the evacuation was completed.
County officials initially suggested Thursday’s scheduled ballot update could be delayed until “before 10 a.m. Friday.” But election workers returned to the warehouse, and the report landed shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
