Five sent to the hospital after hazmat situation at Allen County Jail

Five people are recovering after a hazmat situation at the Allen County Jail Tuesday evening.

The Allen County Sheriff’s Department tells ABC 21 that two female confinement officers performed a search of a jail cell in the female block and found a toilet covered with a towel. When the officers removed that towel, a plume of smoke hit both officers in the face.

The two officers reported feeling lightheaded and dizzy. Shortly after, two other officers reported to the cell block to check on them and they too began to feel similar symptoms.

All four officers where taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. An inmate was also sent to the hospital as a precaution.

Police say the fifth-floor cell had to be decontaminated by a Hazmat team.

It was a similar situation to what happened at the jail last November, when a 34 employees were exposed to fentanyl by an inmate.