Foam fills a hangar at Long Beach airport
Thousands of gallons of firefighting foam were accidentally released Thursday in a Long Beach airport hangar, covering a police helicopter and other vehicles with fizzy bubbles.
A technician inadvertently set off the firefighting system, and minutes later the hangar was filled to the ceiling with foam, Long Beach Fire Battalion Chief Frank Hayes said.
Firefighters and cleanup crews used high-powered vacuums to remove some of the lather; the rest was draining into a catch basin underneath the airport, Hayes said.
Hayes did not know if the vehicles were still working. The foam was expected to be completely removed by early today.
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