200 Evacuated as Mysterious Fumes Affect Shoppers

Authorities evacuated a North Hollywood Pic ‘N’ Save store Saturday and treated 15 people after mysterious fumes caused shoppers to experience burning eyes, chest pain and to have trouble breathing.

A team of firefighters trained to handle hazardous materials arrived at the store at 13007 Sherman Way in response to a 5:20 p.m. emergency call, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells. Authorities evacuated about 200 shoppers and employees from the store and surrounding area.

“Once outside in the fresh air, the symptoms dissipated,” Wells said.

Investigators believed at first that ammonia fumes might have wafted in through the air circulation system, but they later theorized that a release of pepper spray was more likely to have caused the symptoms, Wells said.