250 Evacuated From Tarzana Medical Site

Firefighters evacuated about 250 people from a Tarzana medical building Wednesday after employees and patients suffered eye irritation and breathing problems they blamed on a mysterious, odorless gas.

Authorities were unsure what caused the problems at the Tarzana Medical Plaza at Etiwanda Avenue and Clark Street.

“It’s still a mystery at this point. It’s unknown what caused this,” said George Baker, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit.

“We did air-sampling in the immediate vicinity and were unable to identify any toxic gases in any significant quantity,” Baker said.

“It may have dissipated on its own,” said Beverly Migues, the inspector who conducted the tests. “We could not detect anything with our instrumentation. . . . I didn’t notice any odor with my nose either.”

Employees on the second floor said they suddenly noticed the irritant about 9:30 a.m., when several began coughing almost simultaneously.

“There was no smell. There was an irritation in my throat and my eyes,” said Linda Mansfield, 45, manager of an obstetrician’s office. “At first I thought it was just me, then I looked around and noticed that everyone was coughing. . . . The patients were all coughing too. So I called for help.”

“A lot of us felt lightheaded as we were leaving the building,” Mansfield said.

Employees and patients on other floors said they did not notice any irritant, but firefighters evacuated the area nonetheless.

A 42-year-old woman was hospitalized briefly and about 25 people complained of coughing, itchy throats and eyes, the Los Angeles city Fire Department said.

The woman, whose name was not made public, was treated at Tarzana Medical Center and released about 3 p.m.

“She was complaining of a headache and burning sensation in her throat,” hospital spokeswoman Janice Deutschman said. “But she’s fine now.”

Another woman, Anna Kaplan, 82, of Reseda was treated briefly at the scene, but it appeared that her symptoms were the result of the commotion, fire officials said.

“I’m dizzy--very dizzy,” Kaplan said as she sat in the fire battalion chief’s car.

By about 1 p.m., authorities were allowing employees to return to their offices, but many had already gone home, beginning their Thanksgiving weekend a few hours early.

“Since I can’t do my job, I may as well go home, start cooking early,” said one woman, clad in a white medical smock, as she climbed into her car. “I’ve got a big turkey to cook and they’ve got all weekend to get rid of this toxic stuff.”