Hot pepper causes building evacuation, HAZMAT team responders

It's not known what type of pepper caused the evacuation, but this Chocolate Naga pepper could potentially cause an overpowering smell. It's not known what type of pepper caused the evacuation, but this Chocolate Naga pepper could potentially cause an overpowering smell. Photo: NomadicImagery/Getty Images Photo: NomadicImagery/Getty Images Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Hot pepper causes building evacuation, HAZMAT team responders 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

A Rochester, N.Y., building tenant learned the hard way that a hot pepper is on the list of things you should never, ever microwave.

Ever.

Firefighters were called to an apartment building Monday morning when residents reported an odor in the building that caused residents to cough and have difficulty breathing, according to local broadcast station, WHAM.

During the investigation, the local HAZMAT team was called over when a 55-gallon sealed drum was discovered in an apartment, and residents of the 150-apartment building were told to evacuate.

It was eventually determined that the cause of residents being short of breath was not due to the drum — the drum was found to contain clothes being readied for shipment — but instead due to someone microwaving a pepper in their apartment.

The chemical capsaicin was released from the pepper when it was microwaved; capsaicin is the active ingredient in (you guessed it) pepper spray.

"It seems whatever kind of pepper they were using, once it's aerosolized, if you've ever gotten pepper in your eyes, you know how hard it can be on your system," said Lt. Dana Cieslinski with the Rochester Fire Department told the news station.

"I do not know what kind of pepper it was, but clearly spicy enough to affect the people in the hallway," Cieslinski later added.

Residents were allowed back into the building after a couple of hours and there were no injuries reported.