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LONDON - Super spicy chili sauce sparked road closures and evacuations in central London after passers-by complained that a chemical emanating from a Thai restaurant was burning their throats, police said Wednesday.

Reports of a strong smell wafting from a restaurant in the heart of London's bustling Soho district Monday prompted the London Fire Brigade to send a chemical response team, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

Firefighters closed off roads, sealed buildings and donned special breathing masks to ferret out the source of the acrid smell as onlookers coughed, the Times of London reported.

Smashing down the door of the suspected source - the Thai Cottage restaurant - they seized the culprit: extra-hot bird's eye chilies that had been left dry-frying.

They were being prepared for a batch of "nam prik pao," a spicy Thai sauce, restaurant owner Sue Wasboonma said.

"The smoke didn't go up into the sky because of the rain and the heavy air," she told the Times. "It's the hottest thing we make."

No one was arrested, the police spokesman said, declining to give his name in line with force policy. "As far as I'm aware, it's not a criminal offense to cook very strong chili."

Thai food can get pretty hot. Not sure if this is everywhere, but here when you order at a Thai restaurant you get to choose from 0-10 in hotness. The first time I ate at one of the nicer places I chose 10. Big mistake. I ate it all... But still, big mistake.

@ Crucial )

beginners always should start at lvl 0 ;)

Are they going to have the cap limit pushed the next patch? Maybe up it by 10 levels so people already at level 10 can have some grinding fun.

Seeing the thread title I was kind of worried that you were talking about evacuation of something else.

Man, I LOVE spicy food. I would really like to try the 8 and maybe work my way up to the 10.