South County : Truck Blaze Prompts Warnings, Evacuation

Residents near Aliso Viejo were advised to stay in their homes with the windows shut and several businesses were evacuated Thursday when fire broke out on a flatbed truck carrying materials that officials feared were toxic.

It was later determined that the materials--biodegradable soap and another nontoxic cleaning solution--were not hazardous.

Orange County Fire Department officials temporarily closed the southbound exit of Interstate 5 at Crown Valley Parkway and evacuated workers at businesses near the intersection of the parkway and Forbes Road at about 11 a.m. Thursday when the unmarked containers on the truck caught fire, Fire Department spokesman John Hamilton said.

The fire began as an electrical fire in the truck’s cab but eventually spread to the back of the truck and ignited the containers, Hamilton said. The driver, whose name was not immediately available, was not injured.

Residents in the area were told to stay in their homes with their windows shut until the fire was extinguished, which took less than 10 minutes, Hamilton said.

However, a residual cloud remained, and officials were not immediately certain if the containers’ contents were hazardous. Later testing proved that they were not, Hamilton said.