Around 8:00 this morning, Thursday, May 29, a person preparing food in the kitchen of the Escambia County Main Jail, 2935 North L Street, detected a natural gas odor. The kitchen was immediately evacuated.
Pensacola Energy was called in and confirmed there was a natural gas leak in the kitchen of the Main Jail. Natural gas service to the kitchen was turned off. The kitchen remained off-limits to general jail staff and other personnel as natural gas experts began to address the problem.
Contractors working on behalf of Escambia County were brought in this morning to begin the process of replacing a natural gas line valve that feeds into the kitchen of the Main Jail.
There is no timetable on the repair of the valve of the natural gas line. However, food preparation services are not expected to be interrupted as staff will be able to utilize other methods of meal production until full natural gas service can be restored.
Escambia County Facilities and Corrections staff followed protocol to make sure those working in and residing in the Main Jail were not in danger at any point following the discovery of an odor in the kitchen this morning.