San Diego

Two firefighters and 11 other people were hospitalized briefly Friday afternoon after they were exposed to fumes from unidentified chemicals at a waste-chemical transfer plant in Logan Heights, fire officials said.

San Diego firefighters evacuated two businesses adjacent to Pacific Treatment Corp., 2190 Main St., after workers complained of pungent fumes. Thirteen people were hospitalized for observation and released, fire officials said.

Officials said they never determined the precise source of the fumes, which were described as smelling like chloroform and ether. Workers at Pacific Treatment were transferring waste chemicals to a tanker that was to be driven to a Texas disposal site.

The Fire Department said county health officials and hazardous materials experts investigated the incident. They determined that the fumes were neither toxic nor an environmental hazard, officials said.