Deseret Morning News
DUCHESNE, Utah — The Duchesne County Jail was evacuated for about one hour Saturday due to a suspected gas leak. Sheriff Travis Mitchell said crews from Questar determined the cause of the problem was the dishwasher in the jail’s kitchen.
“It was a vent problem, from what we could determine,” said Mitchell, who noted his office had already planned on replacing the dishwasher this year. Inmates were held in an outside recreation yard during the evacuation. County corrections deputies armed with paintball guns loaded with specialized pepper rounds provided internal security.
They were joined by patrol deputies and officers from outside agencies who kept watch on the inmates from the other side of the barbed-wire-topped fence. Mitchell said the evacuation went smoothly and provided an excellent training opportunity for his deputies.
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