Fumes Hospitalize 2nd Man This Week

A Coto de Caza street was closed Thursday after fumes from a floor-stripping chemical caused a worker to lose consciousness, authorities said.

Paramedics who arrived at the home on Via Masala at 11:45 a.m. found the man in cardiac arrest. He was transported to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where he was listed in critical condition late Thursday. The name of the man, who’s in his mid-30s, was not released.

Four other people working at the home reported breathing difficulty after inhaling fumes, authorities said. They were treated and released at the scene after washing off the chemical with a garden hose.

The Orange County Fire Authority’s Hazardous Materials Response Team used a powerful fan to ventilate the house.

“Floor strippers are very potent mixtures,” Fire Authority Captain Paul Hunter said.

The incident was the second this week caused by caustic cleaning chemicals. On Tuesday, a 26-year-old man suffered second- and third-degree burns when a cleaning chemical mixed with gasoline was ignited by a spark from a floor-buffing machine, Hunter said. The incident happened in vacant property on Reynolds Avenue in Irvine.

The man was taken to the burn unit at UCI Medical Center in Orange, where he was still in critical condition Thursday. His name was not released.

Hunter said that cleaning chemicals should only be used in ventilated areas and should never be mixed with gasoline. Also, cleaning solutions should never be mixed together, he said, and the chemicals should be kept away from heat sources like ovens or pilot lights.