Guests briefly evacuated from Ontario hotel after reports of pepper spray-like reaction

Guests on the upper floors of an Ontario hotel were evacuated Sunday night after reports of a sickening chemical smell.

Firefighters were called to La Quinta Inn on Inland Empire and Porsche Way at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday in response to the sickening smell. Several guests complained they had breathing problems.

Guests on the seventh floor and up were evacuated, while guests on lower floors were asked to shelter in place.

One man said he woke up coughing and choking like he had been pepper sprayed in his sleep.

"My nose was running, throat was burning, out of a dead sleep," the man said. "I could hear others in the hallway doing the same thing."

Crews searched the building but did not find anything suspicious. It's still not clear what caused the strange reaction.

A few people were treated by medical crews, but there were no serious injuries. All the guests have since been allowed back into the building.