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Drug Search Of Berkeley Home Sets Off Hazmat Scare, Forces Evacuations

BERKELEY (CBS SF) - Several homes were evacuated on Oregon Street in Berkeley and a block was closed for part of Friday morning due to suspected hazardous materials found by Alameda County sheriff's deputies while serving a search warrant.

Sheriff's deputies came to a home on the 1600 block of Oregon Street at 7:30 a.m. to carry out a search warrant as part of an investigation involving psychedelic drugs, according to Sgt. Steve Lemthe with the sheriff's office.

While searching the home, deputies found an unknown substance that they thought might be hazardous.

The sheriff's office requested support from the Berkeley Fire Department's Hazmat team, which came to the scene to investigate the substance.

The Hazmat team concluded the substance was not toxic, and residents were allowed back into their homes. The street was reopened to traffic, and the substance will be picked up and disposed of, Lemthe said.

Sheriff's deputies did find psychedelic drugs in their search of the home, and they arrested three residents, two men and one woman.

The sheriff's office has not releasing the suspects' names. The investigation is ongoing, Lemthe said.

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