500 Flee Toxic Fire Fumes; 2 Roads Closed
A small explosion and fire at a battery company Friday sent a dark cloud of toxic fumes over a section of central San Jose, forcing evacuation of more than 500 people and the temporary closure of two major highways.
There were no reported serious injuries, said Capt. Jim Roszell of the San Jose Fire Department.
About 200 employees of the Altus Corp., which makes automobile batteries, were evacuated, along with 350 people from businesses within a quarter mile downwind of the fire, Roszell said.
Smoke and Fumes
The four-alarm fire erupted at 12:53 p.m., spewing a cloud of smoke and fumes believed to contain vinyl chlorides and a type of hydrochloric acid, he said. The fire was contained by 2:15 p.m., allowing a Fire Department toxics fumes team to enter the area.
The California Highway Patrol ordered temporary closure downwind from the fire of both north and southbound lanes of U.S. 101 between McKee and Delacruz roads and the northbound lane of Interstate 880 at the Alameda. The closure caused an enormous backup on the two freeways, major arteries between San Francisco on the north and Santa Cruz and Los Angeles on the south.
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