Amazon facility evacuated after gas odor smell

An emergency medical call at Amazon’s MEM8 facility near Byhalia on Wednesday led to the evacuation of the building after responding firefighters detected the odor of natural gas.

Marshall County Fire Chief Adam Stone said emergency personnel were dispatched at 12:33 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, to assist a woman experiencing a medical issue at the facility.

“When our crews got on scene, they entered the building to access the patient,” Stone said. “They smelled gas at that point.”

Firefighters arrived at 12:38 p.m., five minutes after being dispatched. The discovery prompted officials to evacuate the building as a precaution.

Stone said the woman was transported to Methodist Olive Branch Hospital for evaluation. However, he emphasized that officials had not established a connection between her illness and the suspected gas issue.

“We don’t know that it was because of the gas,” Stone said. “We don’t know exactly what caused her and her illness.”

Stone said the woman was transported as a precaution.

The Byhalia Gas Department responded and shut off the natural gas supply to the building. Amazon also contacted contractors to inspect its portion of the facility.

Stone said the building remained closed for the rest of Wednesday as a precaution while the situation was investigated.

Emergency crews remained at the facility for nearly two hours, clearing the scene at 2:27 p.m.

The Marshall County Fire Service, Cayce Fire Department and LifeGuard EMS responded to the incident.

Stone, who also serves as Marshall County fire coordinator, said the building was closed for the remainder of the day while the gas department and Amazon’s contractors addressed potential hazards.

Officials did not immediately confirm the source of the gas odor.