Ammonia leak reported on Thorpe Road

An ammonia leak reported at a West Plains business Saturday evening brought a full response from Spokane County Fire District 10 and the Airway Heights Fire Department.

Employees from the business, Johanna Beverage Co. at 5625 W. Thorpe Road, evacuated and went to the Flying J truck stop, where paramedics treated eight people, said District 10 Deputy Chief Mitch Metzger. One person was taken to the hospital.

Firefighters knocked on doors and visited businesses within a third of a mile radius to tell people to evacuate or shelter in place with the air conditioning off.

When crews first arrived it was assumed there was a large leak because of reports that people as far away as Geiger Road were sick, Metzger said.

“We weren’t aware it was employees from this who had gone over there,” he said.

The leak is fairly small and crews were working to shut it down Saturday evening.

“It should get dissipated in a short amount of time,” Metzger said.

Thorpe Road is closed between Abbott Road and Grove Road. It will reopen when the leak has been stopped.