Odor source at Belk could remain mystery

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The origin of the mysterious odor that cleared the Belk department store in Fayetteville and sent six people to the hospital Wednesday may never be known, according to Sgt. Bill Rieck of the Fayetteville Fire Department.

“It could have been anything from a prank to sewer gases,” Rieck said. “There’s a good chance we’ll never know.”

The possibility it was from a gas leak or carbon monoxide leak were also ruled out, Rieck said.

Medics treated 16 shoppers and employees of Belk and Lane Bryant, which are located at the Fayette Pavilion shopping center. Complaints ranged from nausea, dizziness and headaches, officials said.

None of the six patients sent to hospitals were kept overnight, Rieck confirmed.

A two-man hazardous materials team entered the store with air monitoring equipment which took samples that showed no indications of contaminants being present, Rieck said. The team also physically surveyed the store and found no evidence of any harmful substances, he added.

Once it was determined the air inside the Belk store was breathable, the store was turned back over to the property manager at 5:50 p.m.

The victims said they had been smelling the odor for a period of time before the first person developed symptoms, Rieck said. The victims had a difficult time describing the odor, he added.

“It was not a brief exposure,” Rieck said.

Other stores evacuated included Casual Corner, Doctor’s Vision Center and Shoe Carnival.

A large number of emergency responders were on the scene including units from the Fayetteville Fire Department, the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services and the Peachtree City Fire Department. All three agencies participate on the county’s multi-jurisdictional hazardous materials team, which was on hand with a trailer containing special equipment designed for hazardous materials investigation and mitigation.