Students and staff were evacuated from the University of North Florida’s Science and Engineering Building last week after reports of a possible gas leak.
According to the spokesperson, there was no gas leak. Instead, the smell was traced to chemicals used in one of the laboratories, and there was no damage to the building. The university allowed students and staff to return to the building following an all-clear.
Building 50 Incidents
Last Tuesday’s evacuation would be the second at the building this year, following the November incident that evacuated students and staff due to a suspected gas leak.
While there have been multiple false alarms, Building 50 did experience a prolonged evacuation of staff and students in October 2025.
According to a UNF spokesperson, the building was closed for a week due to an electrical failure that cost $400,000 to repair.
“This covered the cost for the complete removal and replacement of the building’s main distribution panel, associated wiring, testing, and emergency generator rental,” said the spokesperson.
UNF currently has plans to recover the cost related to the October incident through building insurance, according to the spokesperson.
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