Toxic Fire, Blasts Force 200 to Flee
More than 200 people were evacuated Monday from homes and businesses near a Paramount factory where a series of explosions were touched off by a chemical fire.
Drums containing nitrocellulose--a highly explosive substance sometimes used as a lacquer thinner--began exploding, throwing metal and chemicals into the air as the first Los Angeles County Fire Department units arrived at the Cryon Coating Co. factory in the 15700 block of Vermont Avenue.
A four-building apartment complex, several homes and a number of nearby businesses were hurriedly evacuated as 18 county and Long Beach Fire Department units attacked the flames, bringing the fire under control after about an hour.
Evacuees were allowed to return after 5:45 p.m., but 10 county fire units remained on the scene for several hours while experts sorted through the debris.
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