Costa Mesa : Chemical Leak Prompts Evacuation of Plant
A cylinder leaking small amounts of a toxic and highly flammable gas prompted authorities to evacuate a computer manufacturing plant for a short time early Sunday morning, authorities said.
No one was injured in the 4 a.m. incident at Western Digital Corp., 3128 Red Hill Ave., according to Costa Mesa Fire Battalion Chief Ron McMinimy.
A cylinder of silane, a chemical used to produce heat in microchip processing, when hooked up for operation was discovered to have a “tiny leak,” McMinimy said. Because the gas could spontaneously ignite when exposed to air, officials ordered employees from the plant for a short period, he said.
McMinimy said he did not know how many employees were evacuated. Security officials contacted at the plant declined comment on the incident.
The cylinder was taken outside to the parking lot and its contents were drained into another cylinder, McMinimy said.
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