Firefighters were going door-to-door in a northeast neighborhood late Thursday asking residents if they were experiencing any ill effects from a nearby chemical fire.

A furnace overheated at Canton Plating at 930 Ninth St. NE just before 7 p.m., said acting Chief Gary Kimble. He said 17 firefighters were taken to area hospitals after five or six reported symptoms while responding to the call.

“Some of our people started experiencing sore throats, metallic tastes in their mouths,” he said.

All of the firefighters who reported problems were outside the building and were not wearing oxygen masks.

Battalion Chief Gary Boone, who did not complain of symptoms, was among the firefighters taken to the hospital as a precaution. Aultman Hospital was examining eight firefighters while nine others were taken to Mercy Medical Center.

Kimble said four firefighters were being observed for up to six hours by poison control specialists for any additional symptoms. He said firefighters who were sent to a hospital went through a series of decontamination showers because their clothing was contaminated. Those treated also had their blood tested for the presence of chemicals.

Kimble said one chemical that was suspected of being present was trichloroethylene — a toxic solvent used in dry cleaning. But it was not known late Thursday all of the chemicals that may have been in the fumes.