Southern California Chemical Leak Under Control After Orange Cloud Spreads Over La Habra

Orange cloud from chemical leak in La Habra, Calif. Authorities contain incident and lift shelter-in-place orders.

September 9, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — La Habra, California — A mysterious orange haze spread across the sky in a Southern California neighborhood on Tuesday after a chemical tank began leaking, prompting emergency responders to take swift action.

Emergency crews arrived at a facility that produces cleaning products following a report of the cloud shortly before noon. Police evacuated a nearby middle school as a precaution, while fire departments blocked off local roads to ensure public safety.

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Authorities have not yet identified the substance involved, but all shelter-in-place directives have been lifted. The South Coast Air Quality Management District is investigating the incident, with officials confirming they have sent personnel to the scene. Three employees of the affected company reported mild breathing issues and declined additional medical care.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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