By Tim Jimenez

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – There was a Hazmat situation in Old City Saturday morning that shut down a block and forced evacuations for a few hours. But, police say the substance they found wasn’t so hazardous after all and two men are in custody.

“It’s something that I haven’t seen a lot but I hear that it’s something that’s done.”

Philadelphia police Lieutenant Michael Young says at about 5 a.m. an anonymous call came in about suspicious activity in a lot at 27 South 3rd Street.

“6th District officers arrived on location stopped the two males. There was a white van back there, there’s kind of an elaborate setup to recover cooking oil.”

Young says the two men were taking the oil from containers in the lot and set to store it in big drums in the back of the van. Being extra cautious Young says they had to evacuate buildings on 3rd between Chestnut and Market. The oil was tested and it was nothing dangerous.

There is no word on charges as detectives continue to investigate this cooking oil caper.