Toxic Cloud Forces Area to Be Evacuated
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SANTA ANA — A chemical cloud escaped from an industrial area Monday, causing respiratory problems and forcing authorities to evacuate the area, officials reported.
“We have a cloud, we have some wind and we have some people being treated for respiratory problems,” said Santa Ana Fire Capt. Andy Money.
The cloud was reported at 9 p.m. in the 2300 block of Pullman Street and drifted east toward Tustin.
By 10:30 p.m., the cloud was dissipating, Money said.
“We have treated some people for nausea. They are being treated with oxygen,” he said.
As the cloud spread, police and fire officials cordoned off several streets in the area around Warner Avenue, Dyer Road, Red Hill Avenue and the Costa Mesa Freeway.
The cloud was composed of perchloric acid and nitric acid that was generated by a faulty heating unit, said Fire Capt. Art Delgaudio. The fumes rose to 1,000 feet and drifted to the northeast. The cloud never reached any residential areas, authorities said.
Delgaudio said 40 people working in the nearby PacTel building complained of headaches and respiratory problems.
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