{
  "id": "2026-02-04-milligan-university-fieldhouse-carbon-monoxide",
  "slug": "milligan-university-fieldhouse-carbon-monoxide-2026-02-04",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Milligan University",
    "shortName": "Milligan",
    "state": "TN",
    "type": "private-liberal-arts"
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2026-02-04",
    "type": "hazmat",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "headline": "Fieldhouse CO leak stopped; facility reopened after inspections",
    "summary": "Milligan University [published carbon monoxide incident updates](https://milligan.edu/2026/02/09/milligan-university-carbon-monoxide-incident-update/) after a leak at Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. Full official text recovered.",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "casualties": {
      "killed": 0,
      "injured": 200
    },
    "headlinePublic": "Fieldhouse CO leak stopped; facility reopened after inspections"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "update",
      "timestampApprox": "Official Milligan update around Feb. 6-9 2026",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "Milligan University is providing an update regarding the carbon monoxide incident that occurred yesterday morning in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse.\n\nThe source of the carbon monoxide leak in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse has been stopped. Atmos Energy confirmed that carbon monoxide levels in the facility returned to normal on Wednesday morning. On Thursday morning, February 5, the fire department conducted further checks.\n\nMilligan will also partner with a third-party firm to investigate why the carbon monoxide detectors did not alarm and to review safety systems and inspection protocols.\n\nJoint Statement from Ballad Health and Milligan University:\n\nAs of 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 6, Ballad Health and Milligan University confirm nearly all individuals evaluated and treated for carbon monoxide exposure earlier this week have been discharged.\n\nAs of 1 p.m. on Friday, the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse is open following final precautionary inspections. Further, Milligan has engaged a third-party contractor to conduct a thorough investigation and assessment of safety systems across the university campus.\n\nThe health and safety of everyone involved remains the highest priority. Milligan and Ballad Health have worked together to prepare a protocol to ensure the safe return to activity for impacted student-athletes.\n\nIn partnership with Milligan University Athletics Department, medical staff at Ballad Health and Tennessee Poison Control, and out of an abundance of caution, Milligan is withholding all student-athletes impacted from competition until they have cleared medical return-to-play protocols.\n\nThe university and health system thank local emergency responders, public safety partners and community organizations for their swift action, coordination and collaboration during this event.\n\nWe are grateful for the continued partnership of Ballad Health and for the exceptional level of care their teams have provided.\n\nFor other questions, see our FAQ page on the Milligan website: https://milligan.edu/about/news/incident/.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://milligan.edu/2026/02/09/milligan-university-carbon-monoxide-incident-update/",
      "sourceDescription": "Official Milligan University carbon monoxide incident update",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim assembled from official Milligan University update page; prior unconfirmed reconstructions replaced."
      ],
      "characterCount": 2031,
      "confidence": "high"
    }
  ],
  "context": "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](https://wcyb.com/news/local/fire-marshal-age-or-limit-of-carbon-monoxide-could-have-been-factor-in-milligan-incident) 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](https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carbon-monoxide-leak-at-milligan-university-prompts-evacuations-ballad-response/): 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](https://wcyb.com/news/local/less-than-20-milligan-students-staff-members-still-at-ballad-facilities-following-leak-carbon-monoxide). 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.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "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."
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Milligan University Carbon Monoxide Incident Update",
      "url": "https://milligan.edu/2026/02/09/milligan-university-carbon-monoxide-incident-update/",
      "type": "official-archive",
      "accessDate": "2026-07-26"
    },
    {
      "title": "Milligan University - Carbon Monoxide Incident Update - Official Update",
      "url": "https://milligan.edu/2026/02/06/milligan-university-carbon-monoxide-incident-update/",
      "type": "official-archive"
    },
    {
      "title": "More than 200 Milligan students and employees evaluated following carbon monoxide leak - WCYB",
      "url": "https://wcyb.com/news/local/milligan-campus-building-evacuated-after-carbon-monoxide-leak-detected",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Carbon Monoxide Leak at Steve Lacy Fieldhouse Sends Hundreds for Evaluation - Milligan Stampede",
      "url": "https://www.milliganstampede.com/2026/02/06/carbon-monoxide-leak-at-steve-lacy-fieldhouse-sends-hundreds-for-evaluation/",
      "type": "student-newspaper"
    },
    {
      "title": "Ballad cared for 200+ after carbon monoxide leak at Milligan fieldhouse - WJHL",
      "url": "https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carbon-monoxide-leak-at-milligan-university-prompts-evacuations-ballad-response/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Fire Marshal: Age or limit of carbon monoxide could have been factor in Milligan incident - WCYB",
      "url": "https://wcyb.com/news/local/fire-marshal-age-or-limit-of-carbon-monoxide-could-have-been-factor-in-milligan-incident",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Milligan University carbon monoxide leak sends over 200 to Tennessee hospitals - Fox News",
      "url": "https://www.foxnews.com/us/more-than-200-people-evaluated-tennessee-carbon-monoxide-leak-infiltrates-university-facility",
      "type": "national-media"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "hazmat",
    "carbon-monoxide",
    "tennessee",
    "johnson-city",
    "athletic-facility",
    "fieldhouse",
    "hvac",
    "detector-failure",
    "private-liberal-arts",
    "emergency-notification",
    "mass-casualty",
    "2026"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-05-31",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-26",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}