Los Angeles firefighters have evacuated a dozen homes in Sun Valley as a precaution after a compressed natural gas-powered sanitation truck caught fire Monday afternoon.
The recovery truck, owned by the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and Environment, was between work sites in the 8400 block of North Laurel Canyon Boulevard when a fire broke out and spread to the vehicle’s compressed natural gas cylinder, said Brian Humphrey, an LAFD spokesman. The pressurized tanks, he said, could cause an explosion.
The incident occurred six months to the day after a semi-truck powered by two 100-litre cylinders of compressed natural gas exploded in Wilmingtoninjured nine firefighters.
Faced with a similar danger, Los Angeles firefighters established a 300-foot safety perimeter near the burning truck, prompting the evacuation of a dozen homes in the area. Flames from the truck threatened at least one home, Humphrey said.
Humphrey said firefighters poured water on the flames. The cause of the fire is unknown.