An unidentified chemical emission near an industrial park in La Habra triggered a mile-wide evacuation zone and shut down a stretch of city streets Tuesday, according to police. The incident was reported at 11:54 a.m. at 503 South Cypress Street, an address associated with Shepard Bros., a compliance consultant and sanitation advisor for major brands and re-packers.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department set a 1-mile evacuation radius around the site, and as of 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, officials had not identified the specific chemical or chemicals released into the air, according to CBS News Los Angeles. The La Habra Police Department reported that the unknown chemical emission prompted evacuations across the surrounding area, and police blocked off Cypress Street between La Habra Boulevard and Lambert Road, along with all streets from Euclid Street west to Harbor Boulevard.
The address where the emission was reported appeared to be an industrial park. It sits within a 63,000-square-foot facility on five acres that serves as Shepard Bros.'s La Habra headquarters and includes manufacturing, according to descriptions of the company's La Habra operations.
A Chemical Blending Operation With a History of Oversight
Shepard Bros. is a chemical manufacturer whose products include cleaning and sanitation detergents. A 2013 Federal Register pesticide cancellation notice lists Shepard Bros. at 503 S. Cypress St.
The facility has drawn regulatory scrutiny before. In September 2023, Shepard Bros. waived its right to a hearing and agreed to pay a $39,000 settlement to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, according to the California State Water Resources Control Board. The agreement directed the $39,000 payment to the state's Cleanup and Abatement Account.
Why L.A. County Firefighters Are Handling an Orange County Scene
Although La Habra sits within Orange County, the city contracts with the Los Angeles County Fire Department for fire suppression and emergency medical services, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times.
CBS News Los Angeles identified Tuesday's incident as a developing story, and details about the source or identity of the chemical had not been released as of the report.
Part of a Pattern of Orange County Industrial Scares
Tuesday's evacuation adds to a string of recent hazardous chemical incidents across Orange County. In May, a major vapor release from a 34,000-gallon storage tank containing methyl methacrylate at a Garden Grove aerospace plant forced evacuations, with officials setting up a reunification center at Rancho Alamitos High School. In July, a separate Irvine incident was not detailed in the available reports.
No further details on injuries, the substance involved, or when residents might be allowed to return had been released as of Tuesday afternoon.
