OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A routine medical call escalated into “a significant hazardous materials response” on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, according to an announcement by Ocala Fire Rescue.
Ocala Fire Rescue responders answered a call to online pet retailer Chewy’s Ocala Fulfillment Center at 3380 NW 35th Avenue Rd. regarding a person experiencing lightheadedness at 7:58 a.m.
While medics were assessing the person, a carbon monoxide detector integrated into their equipment went off. The building was evacuated while additional resources were called.
Multiple units responded–including Ocala Police Department and Marion County Fire Rescue–and began working to identify the potential source of a suspected carbon monoxide leak within the 600,000-square-foot facility.
“However, initial readings were inconclusive, prompting crews to investigate alternative causes,” read the announcement. “They identified the possibility of hydrogen off-gassing from forklift batteries, which can trigger similar alarm responses and symptoms. Firefighters then removed the forklifts from the building and began ventilating the facility, noting a decrease in the gas concentration per million on the gas monitor.”
Six patients were assessed by medical teams; only the first required hospitalization.
Operations were halted for several hours during the response and search, but the facility was eventually cleared.