Sulfur dioxide leak hospitalizes two, evacuates Duboce Triangle building
Two people were hospitalized and 20 residents were evacuated after sulfur dioxide leaked from an aging refrigeration unit at 50 Church St. in Duboce Triangle.
A sulfur dioxide leak sent two people to the hospital and emptied a 20-occupant building in Duboce Triangle, after firefighters were called to 50 Church St. and found an aging refrigeration unit releasing the gas.
San Francisco firefighters responded at about 11:40 a.m. after people reported an odor at the multi-unit building. Two people were taken to the hospital for exposure to sulfur dioxide, while a third person was treated at the scene and released. Fire officials said all three were expected to survive.
As a precaution, the entire building was evacuated while firefighters put on protective gear and used specialized equipment to stop the leak. By 1:25 p.m., the refrigeration unit was no longer considered a hazard, and the Fire Department said the building would soon be cleared for residents to return.
The incident turned a routine midday call into a public-safety scare in one of the city’s dense central neighborhoods, where tenants and workers often share older mechanical systems tucked into older buildings. It also raised a familiar question for San Francisco: whether this was an isolated equipment failure or another warning about aging building infrastructure that can quickly put occupants at risk.
Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas with a pungent odor, and CDC/NIOSH says it can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system. The agency lists an immediate danger to life or health level of 100 parts per million, underscoring how quickly exposure can become serious in an enclosed space.
Officials did not say how long the unit had been in place or what inspections had been done before the leak, but the response showed how much can hinge on maintenance in older properties. In a city where apartments, offices and small commercial spaces are stacked tightly together, a single failing refrigeration system can trigger a building-wide evacuation, hospital treatment and a temporary displacement for everyone inside.
The Fire Department’s quick stop of the leak limited the danger, but the episode left 20 people waiting for the all-clear and two others headed to the hospital after breathing a gas that can do real damage even before it is visible.
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