In the early hours of this morning, the Arlington Fire Department (AFD) received a fire alarm from the Parks Mall, located at 3811 S. Cooper Street, at 1:47 am, alerting them to a system malfunction in the ice skating rink's refrigerant system.
Upon arrival at the scene, AFD crews were greeted with a strong smell of Ammonia emanating from the exterior of the building near the ice rink's entrance. Recognizing the potential danger, the response was swiftly upgraded to a Hazmat call as crews coordinated with mall security.
Hazmat teams entered the mall premises shortly before 3:00 am and successfully contained the leak. However, the pungent Ammonia odor had permeated throughout the building. Electronic meters used by the Hazmat crews detected ammonia levels that were deemed unsafe for the building to be reopened.
Efforts to ventilate the large structure have been ongoing, causing a delay in the resolution of the situation. The City of Arlington Health Department inspectors have been providing valuable assistance throughout this process.
The Arlington Police Department is also working in conjunction with the Hazmat command to ensure the building remains securely evacuated until the hazardous conditions have been fully mitigated.
Following the successful mitigation efforts, the Parks Mall has been safely reopened to the public.
