2,500 People Evacuated After Chemical Leak

More than 2,500 people were evacuated from an industrial neighborhood Wednesday after a tanker truck containing chemicals began to emit fumes and sparks.

Two people were treated for breathing problems, but no serious injuries were reported as a result of the incident, which began at 9:15 a.m., said Mike Brown, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman.

More than 80 firefighters, as well as police, paramedics, Fish and Game units, hazardous-materials teams and helicopters, went to the scene and spent the day trying to clean up the acidic chemical, Brown said.

By late afternoon, officials had begun diluting the acid with water and transporting it away for safe disposal, Brown said.

Fish and Game officials were called out to make sure none of the chemical washed into storm drains; engineers managed to contain the chemical before that happened, Brown said.