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Cake mix triggers hazmat scare at city jail

A batch of cake mix sent in the mail triggered an evacuation this morning at the House of Correction, a medium and minimum security jail in the Philadelphia Prison System.

Philadelphia Fire Department Haz-Mat unit was sent to the Philadelphia Prison System on State Road for a suspicious substance Friday morning, December 3, 2010. (ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer)
Philadelphia Fire Department Haz-Mat unit was sent to the Philadelphia Prison System on State Road for a suspicious substance Friday morning, December 3, 2010. (ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer)Read more

A batch of cake mix sent in the mail triggered an evacuation this morning of the administration building at the House of Correction, a medium and minimum security jail in the Philadelphia Prison System.

The powdery cake mix was found in the inmates' incoming mail, which was being inspected by a correctional officer.

The discovery prompted a call for Hazmat and Fire Department teams to respond, which prison officials said is protocol. The House of Correction is in the 8000 block of State Road.

The administration building, including the warden and deputy warden's offices, was evacuated.

The administration offices and the inmate housing are separated by a long corridor, prison officials said, and no inmates were removed from the jail.

The substance was determined to be a cake mix and the building was reopened about 12:30 p.m., officials said.