Home / Disasters and Accidents / Frozen Carbon Dioxide Spill Shuts Down Colorado Transit Center
Frozen Carbon Dioxide Spill Shuts Down Colorado Transit Center
22 Aug
Summary
- Frozen carbon dioxide spill at Fort Collins transit center
- Hazmat crews cleaned up the dry ice and monitored air quality
- No injuries reported, but buses had to use temporary pickup locations
On August 20th, 2025, a transit center in Fort Collins, Colorado was evacuated and temporarily closed after a spill of frozen carbon dioxide, or dry ice, occurred in the building's parking lot. According to the Poudre Fire Authority, the Downtown Transit Center was cleared as a precautionary measure while hazmat crews worked to clean up the dangerous substance.
Firefighters broke up the large chunks of dry ice into smaller pieces to allow them to evaporate more quickly. Dry ice can cause severe frostbite due to its extremely low temperature, and the vapors it releases as it evaporates can be an asphyxiant, potentially causing dizziness, respiratory issues, and even respiratory failure or cardiac arrest at high concentrations.
Authorities monitored the air quality in the area throughout the cleanup process. While levels did rise, they never reached an unsafe level, and no one was injured. By around 11 a.m., the evacuation was lifted, and the Transfort Bus System reported that the transit center had reopened. Buses continued to run during the incident, but pickup and dropoff locations were temporarily moved to nearby streets.
