A RESIDENTIAL AREA had to be closed off in Dublin today while fire services removed a hazardous substance.
Dublin Fire Brigade units were called to Oatfield Drive housing estate in Clondalkin at about 11.30 this morning, close to the Finches pub.
They discovered a 25 litre drum of the hazardous material dichlorobenzene at the side of the road.
The chemical is very hazardous, and can cause serious damage if it comes into contact with eyes, skin, or is ingested or inhaled in any way.
It also poses an environmental risk.
A spokesperson for the DFB confirmed that a full hazardous disposal operation had to be carried out in full hazmat suits.
Four fire appliances, three specialist units and two officers carried out the operation.
The drum is believed to have been moved by people searching for wooden pallets for Halloween bonfires.
People are thought to have removed the drum with wooden pallets before abandoning it on the side of the road.
The area was made safe by emergency services by about 1.30pm, with the whole affair lasting two hours.
Bonfire
The operation is just the latest in a string of Halloween-related incidents that emergency services have had to deal with over the past 24 hours.
Earlier, DFB officers had to deal with a bonfire in Balbriggan, their first of the day.
Last night, an out of control bonfire caused two lanes of the M50 close to the Red Cow Roundabout to be closed, as firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.
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