Gables Courthouse Evacuated Because Of Noxious Fumes
CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami) - The Coral Gables Courthouse will be closed on Friday after it was briefly evacuated Thursday afternoon.
Several people complained that something inside the building at 3100 Ponce De Leon Boulevard was making them sick.
The Coral Gables Fire Department was dispatched to the courthouse around 4 p.m. and transported seven of the 40 people evacuated to the hospital.
Fire Battalion Chief Daniel Thornhill said most of the complaints were from people on the second floor of the building.
"This is a precautionary measure to protect the public and all personnel who work in the building, and to make the building available to the County for any follow-up testing they may need to do on Friday," said Chief Judge Joel H. Brown.
A Miami Dade Courts spokesperson confirmed to CBS4 that the building was fumigated for termites on October 8th using a chemical called Vikane, which is a tear gas agent and may have caused respiratory irritation.
The building was cleared to open three days after the fumigation, but officials believe some residue may have been left behind.
The courthouse is scheduled to be open on Monday.
