Heartland Fire and Rescue at Home Depot Friday in El Cajon. Photo courtesy of Heartland Fire and Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Rick Sitta.
EL CAJON–Heartland Fire and Rescue crews responded Friday to the Home Depot store after employees complained of a suspicious odor in the store.
When fire crews arrived on scene, the store, located at 298 Fletcher Parkway in El Cajon, was evacuated. A total of 13 people, complained of headaches and nausea, but none were transported to area hospitals.
San Diego County and San Diego City Hazardous Materials teams conducted a search of the building and found the source of the smell to be a broken bottle of Malathion (pesticide) in the Garden area of the store. They cleaned up the spill and secured the scene.
The store was reopened after the smell has fully dissipated.
