UPDATED – Firefighters & dozens others treated after fire & explosion in vacuum waste truck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI7CFx8azKc
Veronica Rocha, Los Angeles Times:
At about 3:45 a.m., two workers were removing 1,200 gallons of a chemical, possibly an organic peroxide, with a vacuum truck at Santa Clara Waste Water Co. in the 800 block of Mission Rock Road when it suddenly exploded, fire officials said.
The chemical, when it hit the air, crystallized and became combustible, fire spokeswoman Lori Ross said.
“It can spontaneously ignite, and that’s what it did,” she said.
The explosion caused the chemical to shoot out at least 300 feet, creating smaller flare-ups, said Capt. Mike Lindbery of the Ventura County Fire Department.
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Kelly Goff & Irene Moore, KNBC-TV:
No burn injuries were reported, but two drivers on a vacuum truck, three firefighters, hospital medical staff and a few nearby residents were washed down or treated for complaints such as breathing problems, red eyes and skin rashes, said Lori Ross, a spokeswoman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Fire Engineer Rick Macklin said 37 people were taken to hospitals, including one from the initial blast who had non-life-threatening trauma injuries.
However, hospital and other estimates put the figure at 46, although by midafternoon, only one person remained at the hospital and was in stable condition.
“As this liquid began to dry out, the companies on scene noticed that it was very unstable and reactive, and as they stepped on it or tried to move their engine, it would spontaneously ignite under the tires of the engine or their boots,” said Ventura County Fire Capt. Mike Lindberry.
Because the material ignited spontaneously, firefighters were forced to retreat, officials said. Firefighters were allowing it to burn off because officials were very concerned about the water going into the Santa Clara River.
A mandatory evacuation was ordered for all residents within a mile of 815 Mission Rock Rd, and a “shelter in place” was ordered for residents within two to three miles of the location. The evacuation distance was later reduced to 0.5 mile. A Red Cross shelter location was open to residents at 530 W. Main St. in Santa Paula.
