Chemical Fire’s Evacuee Total Rises to 10,000

Thousands more Orange County residents were forced from their homes Monday as toxic fumes from a smoldering Anaheim pesticides warehouse fire drifted over a wider area and a federal hazardous materials strike team rushed in from Northern California to help.

Monday’s evacuations brought to as many as 10,000 the number ordered from their homes in a densely populated 2-square-mile area of Anaheim, Fullerton and Placentia since the fire erupted Saturday night at the Larry Fricker Co. pesticide and herbicide dealership less than 3 1/2 miles north of Anaheim Stadium.

Potential of Explosion

Authorities said the area will remain sealed off to residents until at least this afternoon.

The biggest threat was “the continuing potential of an explosion,” said County Fire Capt. Michael Rohde, a member of the county hazardous materials team. He added that the fire is still considered active and that some containers had broken open, allowing some chemicals to mix.

A midday Monday closure of a 3-mile stretch of the Orange Freeway (California 57) between Chapman Avenue and the Riverside Freeway (California 91) caused traffic jams for miles. It, too, is likely to be closed until today, the California Highway Patrol said.

The Riverside Freeway, which was closed Saturday night and Sunday morning, was reopened.

Although the emergency made it difficult for many spectators to reach the stadium, the Angels-Indians game was played as scheduled. Nor was there any threat to Disneyland, several miles west of the evacuation area.

Fire and health officials initially thought they were dealing with only a few potentially deadly chemicals, including ammonium nitrate fertilizer, organophosphates and numerous pressurized barrels of methyl bromide and liquid petroleum gas.

By Monday, they concluded that as many as 80 chemicals might be present, including highly flammable ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate compounds as well as paraquat and disistox, an insecticide.

Ammonium Nitrate Removed

By 8:30 p.m., county hazardous materials workers had removed the most worrisome chemical, the highly flammable and potentially explosive fertilizer compound of ammonium nitrate, from the warehouse, according to officials.

“The situation is unstable,” said Robert Merryman, Orange County director of environmental health. “Things could start burning at any moment in time. The problem is that we don’t know all of the chemicals that are in there.” He said the types of chemicals and other products known to be in the warehouse in the 1400 block of North State College Boulevard needed very little oxygen to burn.

“They could ignite again,” he said. “At least once they thought it was totally out and it flared again.”

Anaheim Fire Chief Robert Simpson said that while exposure to the identified smoke and chemical fumes was not life-threatening, there was fear that unknown chemicals could explode.

Keith Maddy, chief of health and safety for the state Department of Food and Agriculture in Sacramento, said that in evacuating the area, local officials “have done the right thing.” He said all the pesticides could be dangerous if wafted by the heat without being completely burned. “The danger depends on the heat and the combustion,” he observed.

No Serious Injuries

Despite the frightening potential of the chemical blaze, there had been no serious injuries so far. At least 10 people had been treated and released at University of California, Irvine, Medical Center after exposure to the fumes. Two persons working near the site of the Saturday night fire were overcome by fumes on Monday.

In response to the urgent request by local authorities, an expert U.S. Coast Guard strike team directed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headed for Anaheim from San Francisco late Monday.

Upon arrival, they were to enter the warehouse with members of the Orange County Fire Department hazardous materials team and attempt to neutralize the smoldering chemicals.

By Monday night, the closed-off area was silent and deserted. Businesses and homes were dark and silent. The scene of the fire itself appeared deceptively benign, with nothing but wisps of smoke drifting up.

Evacuees who left pets behind were told the animals might not survive. Orange County animal control officers prepared to go into the evacuation area to rescue pets Monday, but canceled the plan when county health officials advised them against entering the area--especially without breathing apparatus.

2,000 Evacuated Saturday

The first 2,000 people were forced from homes in a one square mile of Fullerton and Anaheim after the fire broke out about 10:40 p.m. Saturday. Much of the Fullerton area evacuated was industrial.

Although the flames were contained quickly, chemicals in the 5,000-square-foot warehouse continued to smolder.

On Monday, the evacuation area was doubled as South Coast Air Quality Management District monitors detected the spread of noxious fumes. At least 6,000 more people were ordered from their Placentia homes.

Many of the evacuated were housed at two high schools and a junior high school in Anaheim, where they were cared for by the Red Cross. Red Cross officials said they were preparing for overflow crowds, and brought in cots, woolen blankets and food. Evacuees were housed in high school cafeterias and activity centers.

An Angry Resident

The evacuation and closed-off streets turned nearby thoroughfares of Anaheim and Placentia into virtual parking lots.

One resident, Madonna Pate, was angered by the evacuation. She said her husband, who operates a roofing business out of their home, was losing customers because he could not get back into the house to get the addresses for Monday morning’s appointments. The Pates and their four children left with only the clothes they wore.

As the evacuation area doubled on Monday, confusion extended to Placentia. “It caught us by surprise,” said Maria Miranda, 25. She was going to take her three children and six others she was caring for to her husband’s workplace in Orange so he could help her decide what to do next.

Placentia police began the evacuation there about 1 p.m. Monday and said they would make a door-to-door check in the area Monday night to make certain everyone was out.

Most residents obeyed the order to leave without protest, but some expressed anger that the situation was not under control more than 36 hours after the fire broke out.

Planning to Stay

“They should have taken care of that a long time ago,” said Linda Garcia, who said she was determined to remain until her husband returned from work. “I’m going inside and closing my windows and doors and staying,” she declared.

The Orange County Transit District set up a free shuttle service from McFadden Park to Katella High School for residents who had no other means of transportation.

Anaheim Fire Chief Simpson said the cause was still under investigation, but noted, “We are concerned because a fire started during the nighttime and it occurred in an office.” Paul Etzold, 60, owner of the plant, said he was providing fire officials with a list of the chemicals kept in the warehouse. He said he only had about four tons of ammonium nitrate on hand in 80-pound bags and added, “It’s not a large amount. Often I have 25 tons.”

Contributing to this story were Times staff writers Kristina Lindgren, Roxana Kopetman, Michael Bunch, Shirish Date and Ronald B. Taylor