Lone Tree Costco Evacuated After Lead-Acid Battery Odor in Floor Cleaner

The Costco store at 8686 Park Meadows Center Drive in Lone Tree was evacuated after a malfunctioning battery inside a floor-cleaning machine produced an odor that prompted a response from South Metro Fire Rescue. Crews were dispatched after a report of a smell like natural gas around 11 a.m. on January 23, 2026.

Responders did not find a natural gas leak. Instead, South Metro Fire Rescue located a faulty lead-acid battery in floor-cleaning equipment that was emitting the odor. A Hazmat team removed the equipment from the sales floor, and personnel measured air levels before allowing employees and customers to return. No one complained of illness, and operations resumed after officials confirmed conditions were safe.

Initial communications from responders misidentified the battery chemistry as lithium-ion, but officials later confirmed the unit contained a lead-acid battery. That distinction matters for responders and store managers because different battery chemistries carry different risks and mitigation protocols. South Metro Fire Rescue led the on-scene response and Hazmat containment.

For shoppers and employees in Douglas County, the incident underscores how routine maintenance issues can trigger major safety operations in high-traffic retail locations. Costco is a high-volume destination in Park Meadows; an evacuation and temporary disruption at the 8686 Park Meadows Center Drive location had the potential to interrupt deliveries, staffing schedules, and midday shopping patterns, though the response was contained and brief in this case.

The event highlights local public-safety practices for handling suspected gas odors in commercial spaces. South Metro Fire Rescue’s decision to treat the call as a potential gas leak, deploy Hazmat resources, and test air levels before reoccupation follows standard safety protocols aimed at minimizing risk to the public. Accurate identification of battery type is important for both field safety and follow-up inspections of equipment used by retail operators.

For store managers and business owners, the episode is a reminder to review maintenance records for floor-cleaning machines and the batteries that power them, and to ensure staff know how to report unusual smells immediately. For shoppers, the key takeaway is that emergency responders treated the incident seriously, performed air monitoring, and confirmed no injuries before reopening the store.

South Metro Fire Rescue’s response ended the immediate threat, and the equipment was removed for further evaluation. Local customers can expect routine operations to continue at the Lone Tree Costco, while store and emergency officials likely review procedures to reduce the chance of similar disruptions in the future.