Unknown smell in Southwest Washington sparks concern amongst residents
Numerous complaints are coming in from residents in Southwest Washington about a mysterious “odor” and it has locals on high alert.
The complaints about odor began coming in to local officials late Tuesday night leading many people to call local agencies, email and post on Facebook and other sources about what it could be.
Most of the complaints include reports of a “rotten smell” leading to headaches, eye irritation sore throats and people having difficulty falling asleep, including small children.
Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management said emergency response crews have responded to numerous calls related to the odor, even being in contact with industries such as BNSF Railways, Cascade Natural Gas, and the Department of Ecology.
As of midnight, they aren’t able to confirm or deny if it is harmful.
Cowlitz County Fire said the affected geographical area appears to be the I-5 corridor from South Kelso all the way to Vancouver, although they said the smell is dissipating in the Kelso area.
They recommend that residents stay indoors, keep their windows and doors closed, and turn off outdoor air sources as they can’t confirm the source of the mysterious odor.
For anyone in the affected areas, if you feel you are having an adverse reaction from the unknown smell, call 911 to request medical attention.
