Campus Alert Archive
UW

An Oxidizing Pyrex Container Cleared the Physical Sciences Building

WYhazmatemergency notificationmedium confidence

On June 23, 2023, the University of Wyoming evacuated its Physical Sciences Building in Laramie after a lab error created an unsafe chemical solution in a Pyrex container. The day after the mistake, a thermal reaction caused by oxidation was discovered, raising concern about a potential explosion. The building was evacuated as a precaution and no injuries were reported.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Wyoming
Public R1 · WY
UW 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 ALERTmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction166 chars
UW Alert: The Physical Sciences Building is being evacuated due to a chemistry hazard. Leave the building immediately and stay clear of the area until further notice.

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

Reconstructed: the Casper Star-Tribune reported the building was evacuated Friday afternoon over concern about a potential explosion from an oxidizing solution; the precise alert text was not archived.
Laramie observes Mountain Time. The unsafe solution had been created in a Pyrex container the previous day, with the thermal reaction discovered Friday afternoon.
ALL CLEARmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction152 chars
UW Alert: The Physical Sciences Building hazard has been resolved. No one was injured. The evacuation is lifted and the building is cleared for reentry.

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

Reconstructed: coverage reported no injuries and that the scare was handled, indicating the explosion concern had passed.
This is a true all-clear: it lifted the evacuation and declared the building reenterable, rather than maintaining avoidance.
Context

Background

The June 23, 2023 evacuation at the University of Wyoming illustrates a slow-developing laboratory hazard rather than a sudden blast. According to the Casper Star-Tribune, someone inadvertently created an unsafe chemical solution in a Pyrex container in a Physical Sciences Building lab; the following afternoon, a thermal reaction driven by oxidation was discovered, prompting an evacuation over concern the container could explode. A research scientist and students had been working in the lab, but no one was hurt. The same building had been evacuated due to a hazard in November 2016, and UW's Laramie campus experienced a separate gas-line rupture evacuation in October 2024, underscoring that science-building hazards are a recurring driver of UW Alert notifications.
Analysis

Key Findings

UW evacuated its Physical Sciences Building on June 23, 2023 after an oxidizing chemical solution raised explosion concerns
The unsafe solution was created in a Pyrex container the day before the thermal reaction was discovered
No injuries occurred despite a research scientist and students having worked in the lab
The incident is a slow-developing chemical hazard, contrasting with sudden lab explosions and showing the breadth of campus hazmat notifications
Outcome
The building was evacuated over concern that the oxidizing solution could explode. No injuries were reported, and the hazard was managed without harm to people.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Chemistry scare prompts building evacuation at the University of Wyoming - Casper Star-Tribune
    trib.com
  2. Official
    UW Physical Sciences Building Evacuated Due to Hazard (2016) - University of Wyoming
    uwyo.edu
  3. News
    Ruptured gas line causes UW evacuations - Wyoming Tribune Eagle
    wyomingnews.com
Tags
hazmatlaboratorywyomingevacuationemergency-notificationchemical-hazard
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion