Chesapeake Energy says there was no fire at the well site, just "an incident in which they were exposed to a material in the drilling process."

Wetzel County Hospital was set up with lights, sirens and a decontamination unit in the parking lot.

Glenn Koerber of Paden City came to the hospital with an ankle injury and noticed this was no ordinary day at the hospital.

"It kind of scared us when we first came in and saw all the fire trucks, police cars and everything," Koerber said.

At 10:15 a.m., the hospital was given a heads-up that they had five patients coming in, who had been exposed to commercial battery acid from a methane well drilling accident.

"They were pumping the material into the well site and apparently it splashed back onto the individuals and it also vaporized, creating the problem that we had here today," said Chief Larry Couch with the New Martinsville Fire Department.

Advance notice gave the hospital time to prepare.

"We were able to set up a decontamination unit, bring in additional medical staff, and actually we had five doctors on hand at the time when the patients arrived," said George Couch, Wetzel County Hospital CEO. "I think it was chemical exposure. I couldn't assess any serious chemical burns. Appeared to be some respiratory distress."

New Martinsville Police Chief Tim Cecil had to hold back curious onlookers, because it was high excitement for a usually quiet town.

In the end, it was deemed a success.

"They were phenomenal," says Chief Cecil. "Everybody from the hospital staff was involved. Just amazing what a small hospital can do when they need to."

According to Hospital CEO George Couch, all five employees are admitted for observation and are all in fair condition.

Chesapeake Energy says the well site has been secured and is no danger to the public.

Several agencies are reportedly investigating.