Acid Spill Forces Evacuation of 21 on Woodman Avenue in Van Nuys
VAN NUYS — Twenty-one people were briefly evacuated from businesses and homes along busy Woodman Avenue on Saturday morning after a five-gallon container of muriatic acid fell from the bed of a passing truck, authorities said.
The chemical spill occurred about 8:45 a.m. near the intersection of Woodman Avenue and Branford Street. The acid, which is used to clean swimming pools, is harmful if swallowed or inhaled in large doses, said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells.
Four people from nearby businesses and 17 from local residences were evacuated while Fire Department crews closed portions of both streets to dispose of the acid. “They were back inside within minutes,” said Los Angeles police Officer T. Fudala said of the evacuated people.
Authorities said the truck did not stop after the spill and that the driver apparently did not know the container had tumbled from the bed of the vehicle.
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