Wintermint oil caused the evacuation of 50 people from the Department of Homeland Security’s Naturalization Building around noon Monday.
Dallas fire spokesman Jason Evans said a worker in the office came across a file folder that had an unspecified smell to it. The worker also said the folder had an oily substance on it.
As a precaution, hazardous materials teams from the Dallas Fire Department were called in to assess the situation. A preliminary analysis said the substance was wintermint oil, which Evans said is used as a flavoring agent in some foods and as a substitute for Vick’s Vapor Rub.
None of the 50 people who were evacuated were treated or taken to the hospital for any issues related to the substance, officials said.
“They were all let back into the building within an hour,” Evans said in an e-mail.
Evans said immigrants go to have their paperwork for visas and green cards processed at the Naturalization Building in the 4100 block of St. Augustine Road.
No one was treated or taken to the hospital for any issues related to the substance. They were all let back into the building within an hour.
