Vapor Cloud Vanishes Before Reaching Homes
A white vapor cloud that formed over an industrial area near Burbank Airport late Saturday night contained a potentially dangerous chemical, a Burbank fire official said Sunday.
Capt. Steve Patterson said firefighters were able to dissipate the cloud, which contained the toxic chemical trichloroethylene, a liquid used as a cleaning solvent, before it spread to residential areas. No one was injured or evacuated as a result of the incident, he said.
The vapor cloud originated at Aviall Inc., 3115 N. Kenmore St., a company that manufactures aircraft parts and is located just east of an airport runway.
Patterson said the company heats the chemical trichloroethylene in large tanks for use as a degreaser. Employees apparently forgot to turn off the heat in one of the tanks when they left work Friday, causing the tank to overheat and the chemical to evaporate, Patterson said.
The cloud, at first thought to be a fire, was spotted by an airport firefighter about 11:45 p.m., Patterson said.
A maintenance worker for the parts company identified the problem for firefighters, who then shut off the power, which caused the vapor cloud to dissipate almost immediately, Patterson said.
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