The Salem Fire Department responded to the Salem Senion Center located at 2615 Portland Rd NE on a report of a possible Natural Gas leak.
Upon arrival the building was being evacuated. A Cherriot Bus was requested and arrived on scene to house the evacuated occupants out of the weather.
Upon investigation the situation was down graded after it was discovered that the smell came from water inside the fire sprinkler system piping. One of the sprinkler pipes had been drilled through causing the water to spray into the lobby of the Senior Center. Water in a wet fire sprinkler system sets inside the piping until a sprinkler head is activated. When the water sets inside the pipe it takes on the musty and oily pipe smell and when discharged can smell very unpleasant.
The fire sprinkler system is currently being repaired.
The occupants are being allowed back inside the building while staff peforms a fire watch until the system is returned back in service.