Thursday, February 26, 2026

FBI investigates possible HazMat situation at homemade science lab in Irvine

An FBI hazardous materials team responded to a homemade science lab in a rented Irvine home, and investigators on Thursday morning continued to evaluate items found at the residence.

The landlord at the home in a gated community in the area of Cartwheel and Iluna called Irvine police Monday afternoon to alert them to the suspicious items, according to a spokesman for the Irvine Police Department.

Officers arrived and summoned the Orange County Fire Authority and the investigation was later turned over to the FBI.

A spokeswoman in the FBI’s Los Angeles field office said the bureau’s Evidence Response Team and Hazardous Evidence Response Team responded to the residence at the request of the OCFA.

“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,” FBI spokeswoman Lourdes Arocho said. “There is no known threat to public safety.”

She declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.

Overhead video from the scene showed crews in protective gear working at the home.

No nearby residents were evacuated.

The police department spokesman said some of the items and devices found at the home required further investigation. He referred all further questions to the FBI.

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