Police, firefighters and hazardous-materials crews swarmed a Lakewood, Colo., school Monday afternoon after several children reported coughing and itchy eyes.
The culprit ended up being the shreds of “approximately six” habanero peppers found in the wood chips of the playground at Jefferson County Open School, a local ABC affiliate reported.
The school was evacuated just before 1 p.m. when children on the playground started reporting the symptoms, according to district spokeswoman Melissa Reeves.
About two dozen students and a teachers’ aide had to be decontaminated. Seven students were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
The habanero, one of the world’s hottest chili peppers, is often used in spicy foods and brands of hot sauce.
“Coming in contact with the pepper oil would cause many of the symptoms that students experienced,” the district said in a statement.
The school was closed Tuesday so playground equipment and school surfaces could be wiped clean. The school is expected to reopen today, the Associated Press reported.
Jefferson County Open School has about 500 students in grades K-12.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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