TINY BUBBLES at Mineta San Jose International Airport in California

Posted on 11/21/2016

A bobbing sea of white foam several feet deep in spots spewed from a large hangar at Mineta San Jose International Airport in California Friday morning, covering cars and blocking businesses on a nearby street.

San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow told The Mercury News that the foam is a chemical used as a fire retardant and is coming from the hangar's fire prevention system. Matlow said the retardant discharged accidentally and began spilling out Friday morning.By the afternoon, the pulsating flow had surrounded two tanker trucks, reached to the bottom of a stop sign and spilled onto the street.Television news footage late Friday afternoon showed little of the foam remaining.Matlow told reporters crews blocked the storm drains to keep the foam from spilling into the bay. They tried to break up the bubbles and vacuum the mess.Crews were asking people to stay out of the foam, but video showed a man on a bicycle emerging from the fluffy mass, covered in foam.