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Hazmat response on I-280 near Los Altos
Firefighters are responding to a chemical spill on Interstate 280 near Magdalena Avenue in Los Altos on Thursday, officials say.
LOS ALTOS, Calif. - Firefighters responded to a chemical spill on Interstate 280 near Magdalena Avenue in Los Altos on Thursday, officials say. The roadway has since been cleared.
The Santa Clara County Fire Department said they received a call at around 12:52 p.m. about a truck that had struck the median on southbound 280 south of Magdalena Ave. The chemical barrels the truck was carrying began to leak after the collision. Fire officials said there was no threat to the public due to the spill. The substance was identified as bleach.
The spill prompted a hazmat response.
Firefighters respond to a chemical spill in Los Altos. August 28, 2025.
The spill affected traffic lanes into the evening. The California Highway Patrol assisted with traffic and the scene has since been handed off to CHP and Caltrans officials, the fire department said in an update.
The fire department said all lanes were expected to reopen by 5:30 p.m. Around 6:30 p.m. the department said they had begun to clear the scene and that the chemical containers had been safely removed and that the spilled chemicals had been neutralized. The Mountain View Fire Department assisted in these efforts.
The fire department said when the chemicals involved – bleach and hydrochloric acid – are mixed, they produce chlorine gas. They had deployed several monitors to make sure passing drivers were safe, they said.
A hazmat team responds to a chemical spill on I-280 near Los Altos.
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