07/19/2023 - WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS (PLYMOUTH COUNTY) - Around 1815 hours on the evening of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 the Whitman Fire Department responded to a report of smoke in the building at 688 Bedford Street, Stop & Shop Home Delivery. Companies arrived to find a light haze near the ceiling of the commercial shopping center, used for home delivery of groceries. Companies investigating noted an unknown odor in the building, rather than a smoke condition. Fans were utilized to attempt to ventilate the building, but additional fans were requested by command. East Bridgewater's Squad responded with a large PPV to assist with ventilation. While continuing to investigate the cause of the odor, without a definitive answer, a tier-1 hazardous materials response was requested from the State Hazardous Materials Team. Companies believed the odor to be caused by a freon leak in the building, and the company's HVAC company responded to assist. The hazardous materials team was able to pinpoint the cause of the odor as a freon leak. The building was metered, and ventilated. Once the building was deemed safe, the building was released back to the business.
