Also just finished that episode. I noticed that neither Montanez, nor the reporter ever say "flamin' hot cheetos". They just say "hot cheetos". And NPR also did

Also just finished that episode. I noticed that neither Montanez, nor the reporter ever say "flamin' hot cheetos". They just say "hot cheetos". And NPR also did verify that there was a market run around that time, in his region of a spicy cheetos product around that time. So it sounds very plausible that he did in fact create a "hot cheeto" that may have gone on to inspire the broadly marketed flamin' hot cheetos we see today.