A strange smell that irritated employees' eyes forced the evacuation Thursday morning of the Sierra Central Credit Union in Grass Valley's Glenbrook Basin.

The facility reopened within two hours.

“We don't know what it was. We're going to have a technician come out and check it," said credit union Manager Tamara Salas.

The cause of the smell might have been a bad light ballast in the office, Grass Valley Fire Department Battalion Chief Tom Browning said.

No other businesses in the Sutton Way building were affected and remained open.

“Some people smelled it late yesterday, and when we came in this morning, we could really smell it,” Salas said. That prompted the trio to call the fire department and evacuate.

“Some people said it was a chemical smell, and some said it smelled like burning wiring,” Salas said.

Firefighters from Grass Valley, Nevada City and Nevada County searched the two-story building and its heating and cooling units on the roof to seek the source of the odd odor.

A Nevada County Environmental Health emergency response unit also responded.

To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.