IRVINE – What began as a possible burglary investigation at a home in the gated Turtle Ridge community late Monday night evolved into a nearly 13-hour hazardous materials probe after two police officers discovered white powder scattered through the home and reported feeling dizzy, authorities said Tuesday.

Testing would show that the powder was chemically harmless, and it was likely for rock climbing, but may have created an extremely low oxygen environment in the sealed home, authorities said.

It all began when a man called the Police Department around 11 p.m. because he said he thought someone might have broken into his home in the 40 block of Gardenpath, Cmdr. Matt Mahoney said. Officers searching the home discovered the powder. Around midnight, paramedics and a hazardous materials team were called in along with additional officers.

The two affected officers were taken to a hospital where they were tested for exposure to chemical and biological agents and determined to be healthy, said county fire Capt. Larry Kurtz.

“The fact that it (the powder) created a low-oxygen environment made us very concerned,” Kurtz said.

“The subject who called us for assistance was evasive with the first-responders and couldn’t fully explain the items (powder) inside the location,” Mahoney said. “He (the homeowner) was taken into custody for the duration of the investigation.”

Three nearby homes were temporarily evacuated as a precaution. “We needed to make sure they were not toxins, biological agents or explosives,” Kurtz said of the powder.

The powder was found on the floor throughout the house, on table-tops and on counter-tops, and on the garage floor, Mahoney said.

In the end, the powder was determined to be chemically harmless and the officers’ dizziness likely caused by a lack of oxygen created by the powder in the sealed home.

Three types of powder were identified by noon Tuesday, Kurtz said: Calcium sulfate is a dehydrating agent, similar to what’s used in those “do not eat” packets shipped in boxes of new shoes; chalk, often deployed by rock climbers to get a better grip; and so-called powdered water.

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“The subject described himself as an avid rock climber or mountaineer,” Kurtz said. “And all of this stuff makes sense in that context.”

Mahoney said he did not believe the homeowner would be charged with a crime, and said investigators did not believe the home’s conditions were meant to be a trap for officers.

No evidence of a break-in was found.

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Contact the writer: 714-796-7802 or jsudock@scng.com