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Mystery smell hospitalizes four By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune TALENT - After a mysterious odor permeated the food court at Wal-Mart Sunday afternoon, four people were taken by ambulance to the hospital and the store was evacuated for two hours. A paint-thinner-type smell was detected at 2:40 p.m. by Wal-Mart employees and customers, and a Hazmat team rushed to the store. Captain Scott Traina of Fire District No. 5 said equipment was brought in to test the air, but "We didn't find anything." Six women came down with headaches or had difficulty breathing, he said, but only four were taken to the hospital, he said. "As soon as most of the people got outside, they felt a lot better," he said. The Ashland Fire Department took four victims to Rogue Valley Medical Center, most suffering from headaches and nausea. They were given oxygen, and fire officials believed their symptoms were not serious. While the source of the smell remains unknown, it did raise suspicions after two recent incidents at a Sears and Target, where someone released a stink bomb that smelled like rotten eggs. Traina said he doubted this incident was intentional. With high winds in the Valley Sunday, Traina speculated that the odor could have blown from another area and made its way into the ventilation system. Other possibilities include a Freon release, or even someone walking through the store with soiled clothing. Wal-Mart spokesperson Susanne Decker said the food court is closed until a technician can check the freezer area for a possible Freon leak. "We did evacuate the store," she said. "The fire department did not find anything." Those taken to the hospital, including employees, were checked out and were reportedly doing better, she said. The Wal-Mart was back in operation Sunday evening. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.