1,000 Evacuated in Spill on San Diego Freeway

About 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes in Culver City early today after a tanker truck carrying 26 tons of molten sulfur jackknifed on the San Diego Freeway, causing a horrendous traffic jam that made thousands of commuters late for work.

Ten people, including the truck driver and two Los Angeles City firefighters, were taken to Brotman Memorial Hospital, where they were released after treatment for dizziness and breathing difficulties.

An unknown quantity of the liquid, its temperature estimated at 290 degrees Fahrenheit, spewed onto the freeway, catching fire from sparks caused by metal grinding against concrete, then sending up a cloud of choking fumes that drifted eastward across Culver City.

The evacuation was launched because of an erroneous initial report that the cylindrical tank contained highly toxic sulfur tetrachloride, according to Culver City Fire Marshal Russ Mathewson, who said residents of a 20-square block area were advised to leave.

However, molten sulfur is itself dangerous when it catches fire, forming toxic sulfuric oxide, according to Los Angeles County Health Department officials at the scene.

Quickly Extinguished

The fire on the freeway surface was quickly extinguished by Los Angeles City firefighters using “light water” foam, a mixture of water and foam chemicals.

The 4:18 a.m. accident blocked all northbound lanes of the heavily traveled San Diego Freeway.

Southbound lanes were closed shortly afterward and were not reopened until 9:10 a.m. The northbound lanes of the San Diego Freeway were not expected to be cleared until early afternoon.

The Santa Monica Freeway’s interchange into the San Diego Freeway also was closed for several hours, and surface streets were snarled with diverted traffic for miles around. A spokesman for Chevron USA said the tanker truck was carrying the molten sulfur, a byproduct of refining crude oil, from its El Segundo refinery to a fertilizer plant in the San Joaquin Valley.