People living in a Rochester apartment building are back home, after the smell of hot peppers forced them to evacuate.

Firefighters were called to Van Aucker Street around 11 a.m. for reports of people coughing and having trouble breathing.

Investigators initially though the source of the odor was a 55 gallon drum in one apartment.

“In a 150-apartment building with 11 stories, that’s cause for concern,” said Rochester Fire Department Lt. Dana Cieslinski. “So they upgraded it to a level 0 hazmat and upon seeing the drum, a level 1 because of all the lives potentially affected.”

The substance in the drum turned out to be harmless. The actual cause of the respiratory issues turned out to be someone microwaving hot peppers.

Officials say no one required medical assistance at the scene.