Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue responded to a possible hazardous materials situation at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Friday.
Authorities said five patients were treated for respiratory complaints from an unknown substance.
Four of them were rushed to Broward General Medical Center, which said the patients were being decontaminated and then would be taken into the emergency room.
The flights of more than 1,000 passengers were delayed, airport spokesman Greg Meyer said.
The long lines and delays were a sight no traveler wants to see. But it could have been even worse, passenger Amanda Helmstetter said.
"I'm anxious to go home, but very glad no one was hurt, very glad it wasn't as bad as my imagination might've made it out to be," she said.
Part of Terminal 2 at 100 Terminal Drive, which houses Delta Airlines, was evacuated so that haz mat technicians could investigate the situation.
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Meyer said the incident stemmed from a undetermined chemical odor in the terminal. He said it appeared to be a type of aerosol can that discharged.
Air tests conducted inside the terminal by haz mat crews were inconclusive.
Terminal 2 and the airport's entrance road were reopened at 7 p.m.
At least 14 departure flights were delayed because of the incident, several inbound flights were diverted to nearby airports, Meyer said.
After an exhausting day, Helmstetter, who is from Atlanta, couldn't wait to get home.
"I'm disappointed that I'll miss my daughter's ball game tonight, but glad to be going home and not sleeping in an airport or another hotel room," she said.
