Giant Blob Takes Over a California Street

It might look like a bad horror movie, but the attack of the foam really happened over the weekend. A wave of mysterious undulating white foam swept into a street in Santa Clara, California, puzzling and delighting locals.

Blob pours onto the street

According to a report from KTVU Fox 2, the blob actually originated from a hangar that malfunctioned at the Mineta San Jose International Airport.

The white foam covered part of Martin Avenue, taking over a section that's about the size of a city block. When the San Jose firefighters arrived at the scene, they discovered foam around 10 feet tall.

"This is a new experience for me," Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow said.

The dangers of the foam

This particular foamy mix is used to stop flammable liquid fires and leaves a film over the liquid to stop any oxygen from getting through and combusting, the fire captain revealed. Although the foam looks like harmless soap bubbles, it's carcinogenic in its concentrated form and could cause irritation in the skin even when it's diluted.

Matlow advises anyone who has had contact with the foam to wash off the area with water and seek medical attention.

In a report from Science Alert, a bicyclist is shown to ride through the foam delightedly, before the officials announced the dangers. However, Matlow said that he has spoken with the cyclist who is reportedly unconcerned.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far. Some of the foam has spilled into storm drains though, which could pose a big concern to the environment, but hazardous materials teams have already acted swiftly and trapped the material.

In the meantime, the public is encouraged to steer clear of Martin Avenue east of Lafayette Street since the cleanup is still going on.