Simulated Toxic Cloud to Be Used in Irvine Drill
A plume of yellow smoke simulating a toxic gas cloud will rise over the city at rush hour Tuesday morning as the Orange County Fire Department and several other agencies practice emergency response procedures.
The threatening-looking plume, which will be released about 8:30 a.m. from the Irvine Ranch Water District, will most likely be visible to residents of southern Irvine and commuters on the San Diego Freeway, said Orange County Fire Department Capt. Dan Young.
As part of the disaster drill, about 50 emergency vehicles and hundreds of personnel will race along Michelson and University drives and Harvard Avenue between the water district site and William R. Mason Regional Park in Irvine.
“It may look like the world is coming to an end, but, in fact, it will not be,” Young said. “We are just going to spend the day practicing stuff.”
Officials will use special effects commonly used in movies to create a smoke plume that looks like chlorine gas. They will also simulate a diesel spill to test emergency response and evacuation procedures.
The plume of smoke may linger for an hour over the city, and authorities will restrict traffic to a single lane on Michelson and University drives and Harvard Avenue for the all-day drill. Mason Park will be transformed into a mock command post for the emergency coordination.
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