Hazmat situation in Huntington Beach forces evacuations

A hazmat situation in an industrial park in Huntington Beach has forced evacuations of the immediate area, according to authorities.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department said an incident regarding hazardous materials was reported sometime before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 15200 block of News Boy Circle. The incident involved a 55-gallon drum located outside a business that accidentally had a chemical mixed inside.

Crews on the scene were working to determine what was inside the drum after it began to self-heat.

The immediate area was evacuated. It's unclear how many businesses were evacuated.

Despite the evacuations, HBFD did not anticipate any threat to life or property.