Office dust forces evacuation at Hill Air Force Base

HILL AIR FORCE BASE — A suspicious powdery substance that forced the evacuation of a warehouse at Hill Air Force Base was nothng more than office dust.

An employee at the warehouse on base reported opening a package that produced a "poof of white powder," said Col. Patrick Higby, 75th Air Base Wing and installation commander.

The worker called 911 and the warehouse was evacuated. Two potentially exposed employees remained on base until the substance could be identified. After investigating, it was determined the white powder was office dust.

"We just evacuated as a precaution, we didn't know what we're dealing with," Higby said. "Hill Air Force Base takes all possible hazardous incidents seriously. Our job is to ensure our base populace is safe."

The base is in the middle of an operational readiness exercise, so employees are in a heightened state of awareness. Higby said the employees did the right thing by being cautious.

— Anne Forester and Wendy Leonard