The Kent Regional Fire Authority emergency units and King County Medic 1 units were dispatched to multiple reports of respiratory difficulty by residents of an apartment building in the downtown area of Kent at 11 p.m. Sunday. March 14.
Residents of the apartment building located on the 1400 block of West Smith Street, reported an odor that seemed to be the cause of the breathing difficulty.
First arriving Kent Fire Department units reported approximately 50 people exiting the building complaining of various degrees of breathing problems. Additional fire department units and the Kent Fire Department haz-mat team were dispatched to the scene. The haz-mat team took air samples and was able to determine that the odor was caused by pepper spray, which is a respiratory irritant.
Fire department personnel used large fans to clear the pepper spray from the building. One resident with a history of respiratory problems decided to go to the hospital because of those underlying problems and was transported to a local hospital by family members.
All other residents safely returned to their apartments.
