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Heber club evacuated due to gas release

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A Heber City fitness club was evacuated Thursday after a worker mixing chemicals for a pool miscalculated the measurements, releasing a noxious gas.

The worker immediately recognized his mistake and tried to dilute the mixture with water, causing a minor spill of the chemicals, Heber City Police Chief Ed Rhoades said. The man was mixing chlorine and muriatic acid in a small work room near the pool at The Fit Stop, 380 E. 1500 South. The incident happened just before 2 p.m.

Fire officials evacuated about 25 people as a precaution and spent about an hour diluting the chemicals with additional water, Rhoades said.

Two women employees and the male worker suffered minor discomfort, including burning, watering eyes and a burning sensation in their lungs and were taken to Heber Valley Medical Center, Rhoades said. Others at the facility were told that should they suffer any similar symptom to seek a doctor's care immediately, he added.

The facility was determined safe after about an hour, but managers there decided to close for the remainder of the day as a precaution, he added.