Official: Suspicious powder found in Melville was table salt
A “suspicious white powder” found in a package, leading to the quarantine of about 20 people at an office building in Melville for about 90 minutes on Friday, turned out to be ordinary table salt, a fire official said.
Melville Fire Department spokesman Steve Silverman said the determination was made after firefighters from the Hicksville Fire Department hazmat team and officers from the Suffolk County Police Department Emergency Services Unit entered the building on Route 110 just after 1 p.m. The incident was reported at 11:39 a.m. and Silverman said the quarantine was lifted at about 1:10 p.m.
The building is occupied by Capital One Bank.
Silverman said an employee reported opening a package that contained the white powder, leading to the 911 call.
The Melville Fire Department initially responded to the call, ordering the quarantine, then requested the hazmat team.
Firefighters from Greenlawn and East Farmingdale also responded, as did members of Suffolk Fire Rescue.
Firefighters from Dix Hills and Plainview provided coverage during the investigation.
Everything you need to know about Election Day and more from NewsdayTV
Everything you need to know about Election Day and more from NewsdayTV