By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen and Jessica A. York
The Vallejo Times Herald
VALLEJO, Calif. — Jugs of corrosive acid that witnesses say were either deliberately spilled or “detonated” Sunday night drew the Solano County Hazardous Material Response Team to Vallejo’s Coughlan Street for an emergency cleanup.
Witnesses to the incident, reported at about 7 p.m., saw several people pour two one-gallon jugs onto the street at the top of the hill, before driving away and leaving a third jug upright on the street, Vallejo Fire Capt. George Everett said.
The third jug had started to leak acid by the time emergency responders reached the scene, he said.
“It started to eat up the asphalt,” Everett said. “It’s very corrosive. (But) there was minimal damage (to the road).”
Vallejo Fire Captain Erick Diez said that what authorities found on Coughlan Street are what’s known as “acid bombs,” — gallon-sized plastic containers filled with some sort of acid, and made explosive by adding metal.
“It’s a mixture of chemicals mixed with aluminum that when shaken, explodes,” he said.
Two such bombs detonated on the street Sunday night, he said.
“People heard them explode and called 911,” Diez said.
Vallejo firefighters secured the scene and called the county Haz-Mat team, which is comprised of experts from Vallejo, Benicia, Fairfield and Travis Air Force Base, a team member said.
Once the acid is neutralized, it becomes essentially salt water, he said, adding that devices like this and dry ice bombs seem to become most prevalent around high school graduation time.
“It’s usually dumb teenagers,” said the team member who asked not to be identified. “You can read about how to make these anywhere, and they think it’s fun, but it’s a felony. And it’s not a precise science, and can be really dangerous.”
The cleanup team was initially uncertain what type of hazardous material had been used, and remained on the scene until after midnight to neutralize the chemical, Everett said.
The chemical dumping incident, considered a criminal act, is under investigation by the Vallejo Police Department, Everett said.
The team member said anyone seeing a suspicious container should back away from it and call the police or fire department.
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