Hazmat incident at Walmart in Kahului

The Walmart store in Kahului was evacuated on Wednesday morning when fumes from a floor sealing product released a respiratory irritant into the air, Maui fire officials said.

Firefighters responded to the incident at 8:13 a.m.

According to department reports, a contractor was spraying a sealing product on the floor within the store, but it released volatile organic compounds during off-gassing as it dried.

Fire officials say the liquid is an irritant when in contact with exposed skin, and the fumes created a respiratory irritant.

One female patient was transported for respiratory difficulty; and one male patient was treated at the scene for skin irritation after coming in contact with the product.

Firefighters with the departmentʻs Rescue 10 and Hazmat 10 units, as well as a Battalion Chief responded to the incident and remained on scene to ensure fumes were reduced to safe levels before the store reopened.

Department crews concluded their response at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022.

Walmart management is working with the contractors to ensure that the issue does not occur again, according to fire officials.