A sharp, sulfurous smell cut through a quiet afternoon at a San Miguel de Allende daycare, and staff did exactly what parents hope they will—get everyone outside, fast. Firefighters and Civil Protection swept the building, found no leak, and followed the trail to a neighbor’s stationary tank slated for replacement. The San Miguel daycare gas odor turned out to be mercaptan—the warning scent added to gas—but the response was honest: 109 people were cleared, 46 children accounted for, and classes resumed once the air was safe.
San Miguel daycare gas odor
A daycare inside the CASA A.C. complex in Santa Julia cleared 109 people after staff reported a strong mercaptan smell around midday Thursday, September 25. Firefighters and Civil Protection inspected the building and ruled out a leak. They traced the odor to a stationary tank in a vehicle on an adjacent lot, which had been removed as part of a neighbor’s replacement process. After checks, children and staff returned to normal activities.
CASA A.C. operates childcare and preschool services as part of a broader community health and education nonprofit in San Miguel de Allende. That context helps explain why staff moved quickly and in coordination with emergency services. Their campus includes daycare facilities and other programs, and they regularly handle child-safety protocols.
The head count matters. Authorities and CASA tallied 46 children, aged four months to five years, along with educators, assistants, and support staff. Everyone was evacuated as a precaution while firefighters tested for a leak. No injuries were reported.
What the odor likely was—and why it’s so strong
That rotten-egg smell is mercaptan, the odorant added to gas specifically so people can detect even tiny releases. Authorities in Mexico and safety agencies elsewhere stress that LP gas and natural gas are odorless until mercaptan is added; the compound’s pungent scent is added to trigger fast responses, such as the evacuation on Thursday.
Quadratín Bajío and AlMomento later echoed the details reported by Correo: 109 people were evacuated, there was no leak on site, and the source outside the daycare was tied to a neighboring tank change. Those summaries align with the initial account and the return to routine once firefighters cleared the area.
Recent local sensitivity to gas incidents
San Miguel has seen recent gas-related callouts, including an August case elsewhere in the city that drew emergency crews and underscored why residents react quickly when they smell mercaptan. Rapid checks, ventilation, and scene control are the key elements officials emphasize when that smell appears.
For parents, the takeaway is straightforward: staff acted, responders verified, and the gas odor at the San Miguel daycare came from outside the facility, not an internal leak. Operations resumed after the building was cleared for entry.
