UK building evacuated because of unknown odor

The University of Kentucky’s plant and soil science building was evacuated and hazardous materials crews were called Monday afternoon because of an “unknown odor.”

An alarm was pulled and crews from the Lexington Fire Department responded at 2:09 p.m., firefighter Jessica Bowman said.

They searched the building thoroughly, but nothing hazardous was found, she said. She said the scene was declared safe about 6:30 p.m.

The odor was noticed in a plant pathology lab on the second floor of the building on Veterans Drive, UK spokeswoman Kathy Johnson said.

The American Red Cross was at the scene to provide drinks to keep firefighters hydrated during the operation, which required them to wear protective clothing.

This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 10:09 PM with the headline "UK building evacuated because of unknown odor."