A strong chemical odor in a residence prompted a 911 call in the Riverview area of Lakeside in the early morning hours of July 24, 2014. Firefighters from Lakeside fire station 1 (Riverview Ave.) were alerted at 0415 hours for the incident in the 9300 block of Westhill Road.
With the residents evacuated from the home, the crew from Engine 1 performed a search for the source of the strong odor. Due to the unknown nature, firefighters utilized self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to avoid exposure during the operation. Firefighters quickly located what appeared to be an accidental mixture of cleaning products that was producing the odor. The products were moved to a safe location outside the home and a ventilation fan was used to clear the residence of residual odor.
The incident commander (Div.4105 - Kirkpatrick) requested a response from the regional Hazardous Materials team to assist with identification and disposal of the unknown product. Haz Mat 1 (HM1) from San Diego Fire-Rescue station 44 responded; additionally, Haz Mat 8 from the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health also responded. These highly-trained Haz Mat specialists and technicians are an available countywide resource to help local agencies mitigate these specialized types of incidents.
The Haz Mat experts were able to generally identify the properties of the material present and render it safe for disposal.
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| SDFD HM-1 arrives on scene. |
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| The experts work to identify the material. |
Post and photos by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District
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