A Wellesley, Massachusetts day care was shut down after a dozen children came in contact with an irritant that left the skin on their hands red. 

Reaction similar to sunburn

The Wellesley Fire Department said the reaction was similar to a sunburn. HAZMAT teams are investigating the liquid in the soap dispensers to see if that is the culprit.

“We haven’t exactly pinpointed what the irritant is, but we think it may have something to do with the soap dispenser possibly. It’s not airborne or anything like that,” said Wellesley Fire Chief Steve Mortarelli.

Wellesley police believe it may be some type of dishwasher detergent that got mixed in. They say the reactions range in intensity from child to child, which leads them to believe there could be varying concentrations of the irritant in the dispensers. 

Fire crews originally came to the Bright Horizons day care on William Street to treat just one child.

“On response we were evaluating, when several other children came up with a very similar issue,” said Chief Mortarelli. “Eleven of the children have been transported to area hospitals, and all minor superficial rashes.”

Day care shut down for investigation

The whole building is currently shut down for an investigation, but typically there are roughly 40 kids at the day care. Parents were seen getting into ambulances as their children were taken to the hospital out of an abundance of caution.

“Anytime there is children involved we are always going to have a response like this,” said Chief Mortarelli.

The children impacted range from one to five-years-old. There was a mix of reactions to seeing the first responders.

“You know how kids are. Some think the fire trucks are cool, some were uncomfortable and scared, and some were playing it cool,” said Chief Mortarelli.

WBZ-TV reached out to Bright Horizons for comment, but so far, we have yet to get a response.

In the long-standing tradition of cold (or snowy) weekends this winter, this one won’t disappoint. Clouds are advancing today ahead of a complex storm system arriving late tonight.

When will it start snowing?

Light snow or flurries may break out as early as this evening, but for the most part today is quiet and cloudy. After midnight, ocean effect snow should start to pop up along the coast.

Meantime, an arctic cold front will be moving in from the west toward daybreak. These two will intertwine and create snow bands or streaks through the day tomorrow – some of which may be moderate to heavy at times.

Where these precisely set up is anyone’s guess, as our guidance plots them anywhere from the coast to Metrowest to Greater Worcester. It’s the difference between seeing 2-4 inches of snow versus 4-6 inches – not a lot of difference, but still one that’s tough to nail down.

Extreme cold warnings as Arctic air moves in

That aside, the wind will increase late into the evening as the arctic air moves in. Gusts through Saturday night into Sunday morning should top 40 mph at times – especially on Cape Cod.

Some drifting snow is possible, along with numbing wind chills into Sunday. Some may be dangerously cold – reaching -20 to -25 in Greater Worcester and parts of Western Massachusetts. It’s not much warmer elsewhere, with wind chills 10-15 below at times.

Winds will back off Monday as temperatures return to the low/mid 30s by Tuesday and Wednesday.

Weather alerts

There are extreme cold watches and warnings in place for parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The extreme cold warnings are in effect from 6 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday with dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 to 30 below expected for portions of northern Connecticut and central and western Massachusetts.

Click here for a list of active weather alerts

Another storm possible next week

We’re also watching another storm by the middle of week. This one appears to stay on the cold side, so we’re expecting mostly snow. More on this in the coming days.

Have a great weekend!

Waymo, the self-driving robotaxi company, says it is returning to Boston one year after its preliminary exploration of the city’s winding streets. 

“We learned a lot from last year’s visit, and we’re excited to continue effectively adapting to Boston’s cobblestones, narrow alleyways, roundabouts and turnpikes,” Waymo said in a statement on Thursday.

But the Silicon Valley ride-hailing service says it needs help from Massachusetts lawmakers before Boston residents can hop in one of their futuristic cars.

“Before offering fully autonomous rides to Bostonians, we’ll first need the state to legalize fully autonomous vehicles,” Waymo said. “We’re looking forward to engaging with officials to inform that path.”

Waymo has not officially applied to have its vehicles operate without drivers on Massachusetts roads, according to MassDOT.

“The first step for any company seeking to operate autonomous vehicles on public roads in Massachusetts would be to complete the ‘Application to Test’ with MassDOT,” the agency said in a statement. “At present, Waymo has not done so.”  

Uber and Lyft drivers who are worried about losing work have protested against allowing driverless cars in the state. The company seems to have at least one key lawmaker working to make something happen.

“Our goal is to create a clear and consistent framework to ensure that any new technology on our roads meets established safety standards,” said Lynn state Rep. Dan Cahill, who is chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Waymo said it is committed to a “constructive dialogue with Boston’s communities.” But some city leaders were skeptical last year as Waymo tested its vehicles in Boston with humans behind the wheel.

“Driving here is not like driving in the rest of the country,” Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge said. “Our streets are complex, they’re congested, they’re chaotic.”  

City Councilor Ed Flynn said at a hearing last summer that he has concerns about Waymo navigating double-parkers and delivery drivers who take up space on Boston streets.

“There is also nonstop road construction during the summer, street closings as well,” Flynn said. “And in winter, we have snow banks.”

Waymo said Thursday it has been testing its technology “across some of the snowiest cities in the country to support fully autonomous operations in a wide range of winter weather, so Massachusetts residents and visitors can have an even more dependable way to get around.”