Boiling chemical on rail car forces evacuation in California

PERRIS, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California freeway has been closed and nearby homes are evacuated as a chemical reaction inside a railroad tank car threatens to cause an explosion. The tank car is parked on a spur off a main rail line alongside Interstate 215 in Riverside County, about 57 miles east of Los Angeles. Authorities said Friday that the evacuation zone extends a half-mile in all directions and that it includes 170 residences. The area has a mix of businesses and undeveloped land between the small city of Perris and sprawling March Air Reserve Base. County fire officials identified the chemical as styrene, which is used to make foam products.