‘Toxic’ Smell Turns Out to Be Rotten Fish

There was something fishy about the bag of junk strewn in the street in front of U.S. Rents in Ventura on Friday afternoon.

To put it bluntly, it smelled. And people at the rental business were feeling ill.

Ventura police and fire officials were called in by 2:15 p.m., and they took no chances. The incident was quickly deemed a possible hazardous materials case.

A county environmental health worker was brought in, along with a city hazardous materials expert, four police officers, 10 firefighters and two ambulance personnel.

Roads in the vicinity of the 3665 Market St. address were closed, people in the area were interviewed and workers were removed for physical examinations.

But after members of the hazardous materials team dug inside the bag, they discovered bones--fish bones, to be exact, along with entrails.

“It was just rotten fish,” said Battalion Chief Bill Rigg. “You could smell it from a long way.”

The streets were reopened by 4:10 p.m.

Rigg said he realizes that some local businesses were not too thrilled after learning the incident was just a fish story. But authorities have no choice but to be careful in those situations, he said.

“We were erring on the side of caution,” Rigg said. “When you get people calling in, saying they’re sick, you have to take it seriously.”