Chemical fire forces evacuation

Firefighters evacuated workers from an industrial building in the 800 block of Verdulera Street after a 55gallon drum containing unknown chemicals caught fire and exploded on March 26. No one was injured in the afternoon blast, said officials with the Ventura County Fire Department.

According to reports, fire crews responded to an 11:30 a.m. call to Clean Harbors Environmental Services, a company located just south of the 101 Freeway near Camarillo Airport that handles the removaand transportation of household wastes.

Firefighters arrived to find the drum on fire in the back of a tractor-trailer, officials said. Authorities said firefighters used water to extinguish the blaze after they were told by Clean Harbors Environmental Services employees what type of chemicals had started the fire.

The water reportedly made the fire worse and fire crews were forced to smother the blaze with sand. It was finally put out before 3 p.m. with help from HazMat teams with Ventura city and Ventura County fire departments.

Investigators said the fire was sparked by spontaneous combustion and that the mix of chemicals involved was still unknown.