Household Cleaner Mixture Prompts Hazmat Response In Medford

MEDFORD, MA — Emergency crews responded to a hazmat incident on Mystic Valley Parkway late Tuesday night. A woman's sink had clogged, and she called the fire department for assistance, the firefighters' union said.

Upon entering the apartment, firefighters' eyes started watering, and they smelled a strong odor of chlorine in the air. The department said the woman had initially poured drain cleaner in the sink, following up with various cleaning products when the drain failed to unclog.

This created a "potentially deadly mixture of chloramine gas," the union said.

The building was partially evacuated while hazmat crews cleared the scene. No residents or firefighters were injured.