‘Powdery substance’ briefly shuts down Fort Lauderdale office
A suspicious substance was found at a Fort Lauderdale law office Wednesday morning, prompting firefighters to block off a section of East Las Olas Boulevard.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue hazardous materials firefighters quarantined the employees of the Hinshaw & Culbertson law firm at 201 E. Las Olas Blvd. around 10 a.m. About an hour later, the hazmat team determined the substance wasn’t harmful, said agency spokesman Frank Guzman.
Guzman said the FBI agents from Miami were sent to investigate the incident.
However, Oliver A. Thoenen, senior manager of marketing communications at Hinshaw & Culbertson, said in a statement to the Miami Herald that the substance was in an envelope found in the mail room that turned out to be “a legitimate mailing.”
“The office has reopened. Hinshaw always prioritizes the safety of our people and has plans in place to address a series of potential risks to our operations and systems,” Thoenen said in the statement.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 11:37 AM.
