PHOENIX — The U.S. Army is investigating an incident that possibly involved a military aircraft dropping fuel on multiple Valley neighborhoods, which left one woman with chemical burns to her eye.
Stephanie Bagorio was outside when she felt what she thought was rain falling on her hair and clothes — but the liquid ended up leaving her with an instant reaction that left her in the emergency room.
"The gas fell inside my eyelid," Bagorio said.
Bagorio and several of her neighbors describe a fuel-like chemical that fell from a low-lying helicopter last Thursday that landed on cars and homes off 45th Street and Broadway.
The ABC15 Investigators have confirmed that first responders with the Phoenix Police Department and the Phoenix Fire Department were called Thursday night for medical evaluation after people came in contact with a substance believed to be fuel.
“I thought it was raining. I could feel the drops in my hair. I could feel it falling on my clothes,” said Bagorio.
Bagorio had to have her eye flushed after going to the emergency room for chemical burns to her eye.
"This morning when I woke up, my eye wasn't even opening because of how inflamed and swollen it was. All the tissues, the gas fell inside my eyelid. So it was all inside the bottom of my eye, and I couldn't even open my eye this morning at all," Bagorio said.
She described the smell as "horrible" and said she felt like she was going to pass out.
"It was almost like I drank fuel," Bagorio said.
The substance also landed on cars in the neighborhood, leaving a film that residents say still smells like gas.
ABC15 confirmed the incident involved a military aircraft, and after reaching out to every branch of the military, we have learned the U.S. Army is investigating whether it was theirs.
Neighbor Marketha Hendrix, who first reported the incident, said no one has communicated with them about how the fuel fell on the neighborhood. She suffers from respiratory issues, and said the smell of the fuel impacted her and her grandchildren.
"I'm hoping that we find out the solution or why the helicopter was flying so low, and why was it losing fuel in the neighborhood," Hendrix said.
The City of Tempe said they are also aware of reports of fuel falling on Tempe neighborhoods, including Priest Drive and 10th Street, and 6th and Wilson streets.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Army said in a statement that they are aware of an incident “potentially involving an Army aircraft and fuel release near Tempe, Ariz. on Feb. 5, 2026.”
The Army did not say how or why fuel was released.
FULL STATEMENT:
“The U.S. Army is aware of an incident potentially involving an Army aircraft and fuel release near Tempe, Ariz. on Feb. 5, 2026. Coordination with the Tempe Fire Department and Environmental Services is ongoing to assess any possible impact. The Army is looking into the incident and will release more details as they become available. For additional questions about the clean-up, please contact the Tempe Fire Department and Environmental Services.”
A Spokesperson for the City of Tempe said there were no injuries reported in Tempe, and they directed any questions about the incident to the U.S. Army.
