Campus Alert Archive
Milligan

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Silent While 300 Fill Milligan's Fieldhouse: A Leak That Activated Seven Hospitals

TNhazmatemergency notificationhigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

On the morning of Wednesday, February 4, 2026, a carbon monoxide leak originating from an HVAC heating unit filled the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse at Milligan University in Johnson City, Tennessee, exposing hundreds of students and employees who had been using the athletic facility. More than 200 people were evaluated for exposure across seven Ballad Health hospitals; the leak had lasted an estimated four to six hours before detection. In a critical safety failure, the fieldhouse's carbon monoxide detectors did not alarm, leading Milligan to engage a third-party firm to investigate the detector failure.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
200
Institution
Milligan University
Private Liberal Arts · TN
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 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 ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstruction328 chars
Milligan University Alert: A maintenance issue has been identified in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. Please avoid the building until further notice. If you have been in the fieldhouse recently or are experiencing symptoms such as headache, nausea, or dizziness, please go to the Nurse and Wellness Center immediately for evaluation.

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

Students received two emails in quick succession: the first described a 'maintenance issue' and the second specifically identified carbon monoxide and directed symptomatic individuals to the campus Nurse and Wellness Center.
The phased notification -- maintenance issue first, then CO confirmation -- is consistent with the timeline in which the source was being identified while students were already being directed away from the building.
UPDATEWebsite
Approximate reconstruction521 chars
Milligan University Update: The source of the carbon monoxide leak in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse has been identified as an HVAC heating unit and has been stopped. Atmos Energy has confirmed that carbon monoxide levels in the facility have returned to normal. Approximately 300 students and employees who may have been exposed are being evaluated at Ballad Health facilities. The building remains closed pending further inspection. Those experiencing symptoms should seek medical care at the nearest Ballad Health facility.

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

Atmos Energy confirmed that CO levels had returned to normal, and the HVAC unit responsible for the leak was identified; approximately 300 individuals were evaluated across seven Ballad Health hospitals including Johnson City Medical Center, Holston Valley, Sycamore Shoals, and others.
Carbon monoxide detectors in the fieldhouse did not alarm during the 4-to-6-hour leak, which prompted Milligan to engage a third-party firm to investigate the detector failure -- a significant systemic safety finding that elevated public concern about the incident.
ALL CLEARWebsite
Approximate reconstruction450 chars
Milligan University Update: The Steve Lacy Fieldhouse has been cleared for occupancy following final precautionary inspections conducted by the Elizabethton Fire Department on Thursday. As of February 6, nearly all individuals evaluated for carbon monoxide exposure have been discharged from Ballad Health facilities. We are continuing to review our safety systems in partnership with a third-party firm and will share findings as they are available.

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

The fire department cleared the fieldhouse for occupancy on Thursday February 5, and Milligan announced the reopening at approximately 1:00 PM on Friday February 6.
By February 6, nearly all exposed individuals had been discharged from the seven Ballad Health hospitals; the ongoing third-party detector investigation remained open, meaning the all-clear for the building did not close all safety questions raised by the incident.
Context

Background

On the morning of February 4, 2026, an HVAC unit in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse at Milligan University in Johnson City, Tennessee began leaking carbon monoxide. The leak is estimated to have lasted four to six hours before detection, during which hundreds of students and staff used the athletic facility. Elizabethton Fire Marshal Jeremiah Tolley noted that the age or rated limit of the carbon monoxide detectors may have been a factor in their failure to alarm -- a finding that shifted the post-incident focus from the leak itself to Milligan's CO detection infrastructure. Approximately 300 students and employees were evaluated across seven Ballad Health hospitals: Johnson City Medical Center, Niswonger Children's Hospital, Sycamore Shoals Hospital, Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Holston Valley Medical Center, Greeneville Community Hospital, and Bristol Regional Medical Center. Nearly all had been discharged by February 6 when the fieldhouse reopened after fire department clearance. Milligan engaged a third-party firm to investigate why the installed CO detectors did not alarm during the extended leak, raising broader questions about inspection protocols and detector maintenance at the private Christian liberal-arts university.
Analysis

Key Findings

An HVAC unit in Milligan's Steve Lacy Fieldhouse leaked carbon monoxide for an estimated four to six hours on February 4, 2026, before it was detected.
Approximately 300 students and employees were evaluated across seven Ballad Health hospitals in the Tri-Cities region of Tennessee; nearly all were discharged by February 6.
Carbon monoxide detectors installed in the fieldhouse did not alarm during the multi-hour leak, prompting Milligan to engage a third-party firm to investigate the detector failure.
The fieldhouse reopened at approximately 1:00 PM on February 6, 2026, after the Elizabethton Fire Department completed final safety inspections.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Milligan University - Carbon Monoxide Incident Update - Official Update
    milligan.edu
  2. News
    More than 200 Milligan students and employees evaluated following carbon monoxide leak - WCYB
    wcyb.com
  3. Student Paper
    Carbon Monoxide Leak at Steve Lacy Fieldhouse Sends Hundreds for Evaluation - Milligan Stampede
    milliganstampede.com
  4. News
    Ballad cared for 200+ after carbon monoxide leak at Milligan fieldhouse - WJHL
    wjhl.com
  5. News
    Fire Marshal: Age or limit of carbon monoxide could have been factor in Milligan incident - WCYB
    wcyb.com
  6. national media
    Milligan University carbon monoxide leak sends over 200 to Tennessee hospitals - Fox News
    foxnews.com
Tags
hazmatcarbon-monoxidetennesseejohnson-cityathletic-facilityfieldhousehvacdetector-failureprivate-liberal-artsemergency-notificationmass-casualty2026
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion