Rowan County Health Department evacuated after smoke detected

Published 1:41 pm Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Rowan County Health Department employees were forced to evacuate the building after someone smelled what they thought was smoke.

Members of various local fire departments responded to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Services employees were instructed to shelter in place.

A division chief on the scene indicated that the likely culprit was a faulty HVAC system, but the cause remains under investigation.

No actual fire was detected in the building. The fire personnel deemed it was safe, and the employees were allowed to return to work.

Responding agencies included Millers Ferry, City of Salisbury, Granite Quarry, Spencer and East Spencer fire departments.