The humans were the only ones scurrying out of a county building after a work crew prematurely set off gas canisters meant to kill roaches.
The roach bombs were supposed to be set off at 5 p.m. Thursday, after everyone left the Oconee County Department of Social Services.
But the insect-killing fog started spreading through the offices about three hours early after a test of the devices went awry, County Administrator Tom Hendricks said.
"Apparently, they thought that once you turned them on, you could turn them off again. Oh no," Hendricks said.
The building was evacuated safely. One person sought medical help after the incident but wasn't seriously injured, Hendricks said.
Hendricks said he had talked to the maintenance personnel involved and stressed the need for proper safety precautions to prevent such incidents from occurring again.
