Tyler Fire Marshal's Office releases cause of ammonia leak at Brookshire's warehouse

1. 11 treated after ammonia leak at Brookshire’s warehouse
2. UPDATE: Roads open after ammonia leak at Brookshire’s warehouse, employees allowed back in

An ammonia leak at the Brookshire Grocery Company’s distribution center Friday that injured 16 people was caused by a failure in the piping on the roof of a cold storage building, according to the Tyler Fire Marshal’s Office.

The leak happened shortly after 6 a.m. Friday and resulted in the building’s evacuation, closure of a busy intersection and nearby residents being told to shelter in place until the air cleared.

The Tyler Fire Department responded to the warehouse at the intersection of Loop 323 Old Jacksonville Highway about 6:15 a.m. and contained the leak byshutting off valves on either side of the rupture.

Tyler Hazmat and Brookshire employees monitored the air around the complex until the ammonia had dissipated to a safe level, according to a news release sent Tuesday by the fire marshal’s office. 

The fire department released the scene back to Brookshire Grocery COmpany at about 10:05 a.m. Friday.  A representative from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality arrived at the warehouse when the last of the fire department units had departed the area, according to the news release.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is investigating.  

Area hospitals treated and released 11 people as a result of the ammonia leak.