Round The Clock: Pesticide Spill Affects NE El Paso Neighborhood

A chemical spill in a northeast El Paso neighborhood forced residents to forgo their air conditioners early Thursday morning.

The incident began Wednesday evening on the 5700 block of Bainbridge when residents called 911 to complain about a strong odor. The smell faded, but returned during the night.

It wasn’t until after midnight when emergency crews found the source of the problem: a pesticide container inside a shed behind one of the homes.

Officials say the heat caused the chemical to disintegrate its container, sending fumes into the air. Fire crews told us the smell was so bad, a baby had to be treated by a doctor.

Neighbors were also told to shut down their air conditioning units to avoid pulling the fumes into their homes.

Haz-mat crews had the area back to normal by 5 Thursday morning. Officials advise residents to read the labels of any chemicals they store in order to keep them at the right temperature.