What started out as an innocent squirt gun fight between children turned into a potentially dangerous situation for a neighborhood in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, on Sunday. Firefighters responded to reports of a strong smell of ammonia in the basement of a home. Investigators found a smoking 7-gallon barrel of sodium hydroxide, prompting a hazardous materials team response and the evacuation of three homes. Sodium hydroxide, commonly used to clear drains, reacts strongly with water, creating an odor and heat. Investigators determined that water dripped into the barrel during a kids’ water gun fight in the basement. The chemical was removed and no one was hurt. The homeowner thinks the chemical was in the basement when he bought the home.
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