(Buford, Ga., Aug. 14, 2023) - At 6:40 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of a business fire at the Costco Wholesale Warehouse located at 1550 Mall of Georgia Boulevard NE in Buford. An employee advised 911 that smoke was coming from the back of the building, and everyone was evacuating the business.

Firefighters arrived at 6:44 p.m. and reported a large business in the process of being evacuated. Fire crews assisted with the evacuation and searched the structure for any remaining victims. Once inside, firefighters encountered hazy conditions caused by a gas leak in a coolant system. Firefighters collaborated with on-site building maintenance to identify and shut off all control valves connected to the leak.

Firefighters established a safe zone and requested the assistance of the Hazardous Materials Team. Upon their arrival, HazMat team members utilized atmospheric monitoring devices to survey air quality conditions while safely ventilating the structure with fans. The gas leak was under control at 7:13 p.m.

Medical crews treated and released one patient for a non-life-threatening injury. Once the structure was deemed safe at 8:30 p.m., building managers were allowed back into the building to complete the necessary repairs.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 5-Engines, 2-Trucks, 2-Squads, 2-Med Units, 4-Command Staff Vehicles, and 1-HazMat. 

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