A teen mixing chemicals at an Irvine home earlier this week led to a hazardous materials team and law enforcement investigation at the residence, police said Thursday.
Law enforcement responded to a home on Cartwheel on Monday after receiving a neighbor’s report of suspicious circumstances at the house. After police examined the scene, officers determined that items at the home required further evaluation, prompting them to call the Orange County Fire Authority for help from its hazmat unit.
Later that evening, the FBI responded to the scene and took over the investigation.
“The FBI’s Evidence Response Team and Hazardous Evidence Response Team responded to a residence in Irvine, California at the request of the Orange County Fire Authority,” the federal agency said in a statement. “The FBI continues to work this matter jointly with the Irvine Police Department, the Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. There is no known threat to public safety. As this is an ongoing investigation, we are not able to provide additional information at this time.”
NewsChopper4 was over the scene Wednesday, where several police cruisers and a staged investigation area was established in the neighborhood. It’s unclear what items law enforcement are investigating.
In a statement Thursday, Irvine police said the investigation stemmed from a teen mixing unknown chemicals inside the home.
“The specific substances involved, along with the surrounding circumstances, are being carefully and methodically evaluated by subject matter experts from multiple disciplines,” police said.
No evacuations were ordered and there was no known danger to the public, police said.
The investigation continued into Thursday afternoon.
The FBI and hazmat team are investigating items found inside an Irvine home. Darsha Philips reports for NBC4 at 11 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2026.
