BRIEF: Maui County Service Center Evacuated

By David Kvasnicka

Maui County Service Center where the evacuation took place. Courtesy photo.

The Maui County Service Center at Maui Mall was evacuated at 8:45 a.m. today after the smell of propane gas was detected, say county officials.

A Maui Fire Department HAZMAT team responded and determined that the smell was not coming from the building, but from a nearby gas company that had been purging their tanks. The MFD suggested that air condition at the center be turned off and fans brought in to mitigate the smell in the building.

County staff estimate that 50 customers were in the center at the time of the incident. No-one was in need of medical attention.

Operations ceased at the center, which houses the Motor Vehicle and Licensing and Real Property Tax divisions, but resumed at 10:10 a.m.