Fumes at Rail Yard Force Evacuation

An inadvertent mixture of hydrochloric acid and jet fuel at a rail yard led to the temporary evacuation of about 1,000 residents of this Mojave Desert town.

Hazardous-materials teams, including one from a nearby Marine base, were sent to the Union Pacific rail yard after the fumes were reported about 6 p.m. Thursday. Fourteen emergency fire crews also responded to the scene.

“Two workers were transferring the acid into a rail tanker, not realizing it already contained jet fuel,” said Gloria Street, a spokeswoman for Desert Communications, the regional fire emergency agency.

Both workers were stricken with respiratory problems from toxic fumes and were taken to Victor Valley Hospital for treatment, said Scott Fanus, a dispatcher for the regional fire protection agency.

Residents within a one-mile radius of the spill were asked to stay at Silver Valley High School until the area was deemed safe. The evacuation was canceled at 12:14 a.m. Friday and the residents returned to their homes, Fanus said.

Yermo is northeast of Barstow about two miles from Interstate 15, the main highway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. I-15 traffic was unaffected.