Costa Mesa : Hose Spews Gas Leak Into Arts Center’s Room
A hose connection on a large air-conditioning unit at the Orange County Performing Arts Center burst, filling an equipment room with Freon gas but causing no injuries, fire officials said Wednesday.
No event was scheduled at the center when the hose burst Tuesday night. Security guards were the only people in the building, a Center spokesman said.
The sudden rupture of the 2 1/2-inch hose and the escape of the gas caused an estimated $20,000 in damage, said Ron McMinimy, acting battalion chief for the Costa Mesa Fire Department.
McMinimy said damage was confined to the equipment room, “way back away from where anybody would be.”
McMinimy said Freon, commonly used in refrigeration units, can be hazardous in some circumstances. High concentrations displace oxygen and can cause suffocation, he said. High concentrations can also be irritating and, if heated, can produce toxic fumes.
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