Campus Alert Archive
UTHSC

A Fifth-Floor Spill in the Pharmacy Building Empties It Onto Memphis' Medical District

TNchemical spillemergency notificationmedium confidence

A chemical spill on the fifth floor of UTHSC's Pharmacy Building in Memphis prompted a brief evacuation on the morning of March 21, 2025. UTHSC's response team worked with the Memphis Fire Department to manage the spill, and access to the fifth floor was prohibited until further notice. No injuries were reported.

Alerts
2
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Public R2 · TN
UTHSC 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 reconstruction180 chars
UTHSC Alert: A hazardous spill has been reported in the Pharmacy Building. The building is being evacuated and all campus visitors should stay clear of the area. Updates to follow.

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

Reconstructed paraphrase: local outlets reported the alert called for evacuation and for visitors to stay clear, but no source published the verbatim UTHSC alert text.
The hazard was localized to the fifth floor, but the whole Pharmacy Building was briefly evacuated as a precaution before the closure was narrowed to that floor.
UPDATEmulti-channel
Approximate reconstruction218 chars
Access to the fifth floor of the Pharmacy Building will be strictly prohibited until further notice. Employees impacted by the restricted access should work with their supervisors to make alternative work arrangements.

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

Reconstructed close-paraphrase: this narrows the response from a full evacuation to a fifth-floor-only closure once responders assessed the spill.
It is an update, not an all-clear: it lifts the building evacuation but keeps the fifth floor closed indefinitely.
Context

Background

UTHSC is an academic health-science campus in Memphis' medical district. On the morning of March 21, 2025, a chemical spill was reported on the fifth floor of the Pharmacy Building, prompting an evacuation and an alert telling campus visitors to stay clear, Action News 5 reported. WREG reported the evacuations were brief, and FOX13 Memphis confirmed the spill prompted the response. UTHSC's fire and safety team worked with the City of Memphis Fire Department, and access to the fifth floor was prohibited until further notice, with impacted employees told to arrange alternative work. The school did not disclose what chemical was involved, and no injuries were reported.
Analysis

Key Findings

A localized fifth-floor spill triggered a brief building-wide evacuation at an academic health-science campus before being narrowed to a single-floor closure
The institution declined to identify the chemical involved, a common pattern in early hazmat communications
The follow-up message was an update, not an all-clear: it reopened the building but kept the fifth floor closed indefinitely
No injuries were reported among responders or building occupants
Outcome
The building was briefly evacuated and the fifth floor was closed indefinitely as a precaution while the spill was managed; no injuries were reported. The school did not disclose the chemical involved.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Chemical spill in building leads to emergency evacuation, UTHSC confirms - Action News 5
    actionnews5.com
  2. News
    'Hazardous spill' at UTHSC caused brief evacuations - WREG
    wreg.com
  3. News
    Chemical spill reported at UTHSC's pharmaceutical building - FOX13 Memphis
    fox13memphis.com
Tags
chemical-spillhazmatlab-safetyacademic-health-centertennesseeemergency-notification
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion