Odor that evacuated Cedar Rapids fire station traced to grease pit

UPDATE: It might have been the shortest call for service ever in Cedar Rapids.

Firefighters at Fire Station No. 1, 1010 First St. NW, suited up and investigated a possible gas odor inside the fire station around 7:25 a.m. Wednesday morning. Along with MidAmerican Energy, crews determined the smell was coming from a grease pit, and was not natural gas.

About 25 city employees were evacuated for about 45 minutes. Firefighters from other stations also responded but left when gas monitors did not detect anything hazardous.

One half of the building houses the administrative offices for the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, while the other half serves as a garage for the city's fleet services department. Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow said the grease pit in question was on the fleet services side of the building.

The city leased the building and relocated its fire department operations after the 2008 flood destroyed the former central fire station a couple blocks away.