30 residents evacuate after chlorine leak at Los Alamitos apartment; 1 hospitalized

A chlorine leak at a Los Alamitos apartment Friday left one person hospitalized and forced 30 residents to temporarily evacuate the complex, authorities said.

The leak was reported at about 2 p.m. when one person gained access to a pool pump room at an apartment in the 4000 block of Green Avenue and was overwhelmed with a strong odor of chlorine, said Capt. Jon Muir of the Orange County Fire Authority. The person began to have difficulty breathing.

OCFA paramedics transported the man to a local hospital, where he was reported to be  stable, Muir said.

While a county hazardous material crew cleaned the leak, 30 residents of the rear half of the complex were evacuated, while the rest of the apartment was ordered to shelter in place, Muir said. The leak had come from a broken part in the pool pump.

After one hour, the leak was cleaned and the air was clean enough to allow residents back into the area, Muir said. A pool operator came and replaced the broken part.

City News Service contributed to this report.