Campus Alert Archive
Butler

A Forklift Hits a Gas Line and Empties Butler's Andover Campus for the Day

KSgas leakemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Butler Community College canceled afternoon and evening classes at its Andover campus on October 22, 2024, after a nearby gas leak forced evacuations. An Andover Fire-Rescue chief said a Vornado employee driving a forklift struck a gas line, and roughly 700 to 1,000 people in the area were affected. Crews worked to stop the leak while the college kept students away from the Andover campus.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Butler Community College
Community College · KS
Butler Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstruction189 chars
Butler Alert: Due to a gas leak near the Andover campus, the campus is being evacuated and afternoon and evening classes are canceled. Leave the area and do not return until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from KWCH reporting that Butler canceled Andover afternoon and evening classes after a forklift struck a gas line at a nearby Vornado facility; exact alert wording was not published.
The leak affected an estimated 700 to 1,000 people in the surrounding area, not only the college.
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction173 chars
Butler Alert: The gas leak near the Andover campus has been resolved by emergency crews. The campus will reopen for regularly scheduled classes. Thank you for your patience.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed; the leak was a struck-line incident that responders worked to stop, after which the campus returned to its normal schedule.
Butler's main campus is in El Dorado, so the alert applied specifically to the Andover location rather than the whole college.
Context

Background

Butler Community College, headquartered in El Dorado, operates a satellite campus in Andover, a Wichita suburb. On October 22, 2024, a gas leak forced evacuations near the Andover campus and Butler canceled its afternoon and evening classes there. According to an Andover Fire-Rescue chief quoted by KWCH, a Vornado employee operating a forklift struck a gas line, prompting a response that affected an estimated 700 to 1,000 people in the area. The episode is one of several non-violent emergencies that have touched Butler facilities: in March 2023 a wind-driven wildfire near El Dorado forced area evacuations close to the main campus. The Andover gas leak illustrates how an off-campus industrial accident can still drive a community college's emergency-notification and closure decisions.
Analysis

Key Findings

Butler canceled afternoon and evening classes at its Andover campus on October 22, 2024, due to a nearby gas leak
An Andover Fire-Rescue chief said a Vornado employee struck a gas line with a forklift
Roughly 700 to 1,000 people in the area were affected; no injuries were reported
The incident affected only the Andover campus, not Butler's main El Dorado campus; alert text is reconstructed (medium confidence)
Outcome
Butler canceled afternoon and evening Andover classes; the leak was contained by responders. No injuries were reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Butler Community College cancels classes in Andover after gas leak forces evacuations
    kwch.com
  2. News
    Evacuation order lifted in Butler County (March 2023 wildfire)
    kwch.com
Tags
gas-leakkansascommunity-collegeandoverevacuationcampus-closureemergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion