5 Youth Hospitalized In Hazmat Situation At Palm Desert YMCA

PALM DESERT, CA — Dozens of firefighters were sent to the Palm Desert YMCA location as a hazmat situation unfolded Thursday afternoon, sickening five juveniles, the Riverside County Fire Department reported. The youth were all taken to the hospital with injuries described as minor.

The incident was first reported at 12:32 p.m. in the 75000 block of Orange Blossom Lane, according to Fire Department Spokeswoman April Newman.

Officials from Riverside County Environmental Health and the Riverside County Fire Department's Hazardous Materials Team responded and ultimately determined the substance was Eco Temp Ultra Klene — "... a janitorial strength cleaner made of sodium hydroxide," according to Newman.

The cleaner is described as a "machine warewashing detergent" by Ecolab, the company that sells the product. The chemical can be hazardous to human health if swallowed or inhaled, according to a safety data sheet released by Ecolab.

Additional details about the incident were not immediately available.

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Patch file photo by Maggie Avants / City News Service contributed to this report