There were no injuries this morning when the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) responded to a call concerning an ammonia spill on the third floor of More Hall in an environmental engineering lab. Students and staff were evacuated from the third floor as a hazardous materials team rushed to clean up the spill, arriving at 10:41 a.m. after being dispatched at 10:32 a.m.

According to an 11:18 a.m. update on UW Alerts, the building was evacuated, but students inside More Hall claimed that only the third floor was evacuated.

“We weren’t alerted that we should’ve got out of the building,” said senior John Werner, whose reinforced concrete construction class was on the second floor of More Hall. “Someone found on their iPhone that there was a haz-mat spill. We were told not to go to the third floor.”

The SFD firefighters evacuated the third floor, although it was the decision of the chief on the scene to assess the situation and decide whether a full evacuation of the building was necessary.

“That’s a call the firefighters make,” said Helen Fitzpatrick, a spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department. “They’re the experts.”

The SFD could not discern the amount of spilled ammonia, although Fitzpatrick indicated the quantity was small.

Ammonia can be dangerous if inhaled or touched.

“It’s caustic if it comes in contact with the skin, and it’s an irritant if you inhale it,” Fitzpatrick said.

More Hall is located southeast of Drumheller Fountain along Stevens Way. The building houses many civil engineering classrooms, Werner said.

[Reach reporter Andrew Doughman at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]