By Juliette Rule
Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne)
Copyright 2006 Cheyenne Newspapers, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A grocery store was evacuated Sunday afternoon and two children were taken to the hospital after they were potentially exposed to a hazardous chemical.
The names of the children weren’t released, but they are 5 and 7 years old, Cheyenne Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jim Martin said Sunday evening outside of the Albertsons store at Pershing Boulevard and Ridge Road.
They were expected to be released from the hospital Sunday, he added.
The kids encountered the substance, later identified as a pepper-type defense spray, in the Albertsons bathroom. It happened about 2:30 p.m.
A few hours later, the store was re-opened for business and firefighters were preparing to leave.
The substance can be bought without any special permits, but generally only is sold to adults, Martin said.
The store was cleared of patrons and employees, who were seated in air-conditioned city buses. The kids went through decontamination tents and were swaddled in Tyvek suits worn by Haz-mat members.
In his hand, Martin held a tiny vial of golden-colored liquid wrapped in freezer bags — a sample of the substance scraped from the bathroom wall.
Additional testing would be done, he said.
A firefighter who responded to the scene was treated for heat exhaustion at United Medical Center-West. The Tyvek suits combined with high temperatures and dehydration caused that, Martin added.