The explosion of a vacuum truck in Santa Paula injured at least five people Tuesday and spurred authorities to evacuate the area.
Workers at the Santa Clara Waste Water Company were loading chemicals into the vacuum truck when it exploded, shooting the substance at least 300 feet out and
creating smaller flare-ups, The Los Angeles Times reported.
The truck's occupant and three firefighters were taken to a hospital, the newspaper said. A fifth person drove himself to the hospital. Briggs School was closed, Highway 126 was shut down, people within a mile of the site were evacuated, and those within three miles of the explosion were told to shelter in place.
Rick Macklin of the
Ventura County Fire Department told KTLA-TV that firefighters' boots spontaneously combusted when they came in contact with the chemical.
CBS Los Angeles identified the substance as an organic peroxide.
Capt. Mike Lindberry of the Ventura County Fire Department told the station that the chemical is water reactive, meaning that attempts to extinguish the fire with water could accelerate the chemical reaction.
"Right now, we are letting the areas on fire burn down," he said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is assisting the Ventura County Fire Department, according to a Twitter post.
Twitter users expressed concern.
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