FIREFIGHTERS had to don chemical protection suits when a jar containing a 200-year-old pickled chameleon smashed in a Basingstoke home.

Three fire engines rushed to Constantine Way, Hatch Warren, Basingstoke, around 10pm last night after a dead chameleon in a jar fell off a shelf and smashed, spilling formaldehyde all over the kitchen.

Answering a hazardous chemical call, 18 firefighters attended the scene and cordoned off the area telling neighbours to close their windows and doors.

Basingstoke Red Watch manager Keith Jones said: “The preservative started to evaporate and the home owner evacuated the premises because the smell was so strong.

“The chameleon had been preserved for about 200 years so safety was our worry, and the difficulty was we were unsure what chemical we were dealing with, so we went through the full procedures to be safe. We had a Hazmat [Hazardous Materials] Officer who was convinced it was formaldehyde.”

Mr Jones added that a greater concentration of the chemical can be dangerous but the incident only involved a couple litres.

He said: “Two firefighters, dressed in chemical protection suits, removed anything with the liquid on it into the garden and washed it with copious amounts of water, which was the guidance we received from our control.”

No-one came into direct contact with the formaldehyde and firefighters left the premises around midnight.

Neighbour Tara Powell, 21, had her one-year-old son Finley with her in bed upstairs as the drama unfolded.

She said: “I was really worried. Suddenly, there were flashing lights and it was the fire engine.

“I asked what was going on and they told me that there was a gas or chemical that had leaked, but he said there was nothing to worry about. Then more fire engines came along and all the neighbours came out – it was exciting but it soon fizzled out.”