FIU Campus Experienced 2 Evacuations on Same Day

SWEETWATER, FL — Florida International University experienced two separate evacuations on Friday afternoon but no injuries were reported.

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Both evacuations took place between 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, according to Lt. Felipe Lay of Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue.

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Lay told Patch that no one was injured in either incident and both incidents had been resolved by 2:30 p.m.

The first evacuation involved a chemical spill in room 311 of the university's Academic Health Center while the second involved reports of smoke coming from the dorms.

"We have gone through the dorms and investigated all the floors," Lay said. "Nothing was found."

He said that the chemical spill was small and is believed to have involved the alcohol-based substance Phenol, which is a common chemical used for activities such as tissue preservation and DNA/RNA extraction, according to Cornell University.

The chemical can cause severe burns and can act as a systemic toxin if absorbed.

"There was nobody exhibiting any signs or symptoms of exposure," according to Lay.

The Modesto A. Maidique Campus is the original home of FIU. It takes up five blocks between 117th and 107th Streets on Tamiami Trail in West Miami-Dade.