Both directions of the 215 reopened late Friday after incident commanders deemed the contents of the rail car no immediate threat to the highway, according to authorities. The off-ramps off Harley Knox remained closed. On Saturday morning, all evacuation orders came. The hazmat incident began around 7:40 p.m. on Thursday after reports of a chemical leak from a railroad car near Harvill and Oleander avenues, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Authorities said nearly 188,000 pounds of the chemical styrene leaked from a railroad car, creating a dangerous situation for local residents. The chemical overheated and authorities said it could become volatile in that state. They were afraid it might cause some kind of explosion. Authorities said the situation could be extended for up to three days due to the hazardous nature of the styrene chemical in the damaged rail car. About 170 homes and businesses were evacuated within about a half-mile radius of the leaking train car, authorities said. “This could resolve itself in two days, but it could get worse before it gets better,” Cal Fire Chief John Crater said at a news conference Friday morning. which creates pressure and could have a release, meaning some kind of violent explosion. That’s why we’re very careful with it.” Saturday’s high in Perris is forecast to be 100. On the other hand, if the rail car starts to cool, it will reduce the risk of explosion. However, this process can take days. “Once we start to see that this rail car is actually cooling, what that tells us is that the chemical reaction that’s going on in that car is starting to solidify, which is the trend that we want to see happen,” said Sgt. County Fire Department. Oscar Torres said. Metrolink service on the 91/Perris Valley line has also been disrupted through the area, with lines closed between the Perris-Downtown and Moreno Valley/March Field stations. Service will remain disrupted until the situation is resolved. City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report. Copyright © 2022 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
