Recently in Oklahoma a chemical fire and explosion ravaged a building and caused severe damage to the surrounding area. The fire burned for hours, and firefighters battled it extensively with great caution. The fire chief said, “It’s very nerve-racking when you do approach a building with a lot of chemicals in it. Any firefighter is gonna be very leery of that.”Battling a chemical fire is a huge gamble due to the volatile reactions made possible by the fire. In the case of this particular plant the company’s website says they “service a wide array of industries including military defense, semiconductors, battery materials, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive components, textiles, agricultural solutions, surfactants and industrial cleaners.”
It all started at around two in the morning. There weren’t many employees inside the building due to the time, and the three that were inside managed to escape without injury. The firefighters were extremely relieved that they were able to contain the fire to an office area. The location the building was is notorious for being an extremely dangerous area to fight fires. Apparently the fire crew searches initially for a placard to determine how they need to approach the fire. “It’s a W with a slash through it at the bottom. It’s gonna tell us right away that this building is not gonna allow us to put water on it,” said the fire chief.
There’s actually a long list of chemicals that can react negatively with water, and in some cases cause violent combustion. It’s imperative that every team of firefighters knows this, as many lives have been lost to things that are easier to spot. There have also been several instances last year where an employee was cleaning a spill and applied water instead of the proper liquid only to become severely injured. In the case of a chemical fire, these substances compound the situation considerably. When it comes to fighting fire, water is the best tool that firefighters have in extinguishing the flame. If water causes chemical reactions and explosions, the fire becomes exceedingly difficult to put out and as is in the case of the fire at Port of Catoosa usually burns for a long while. The fire chief actually commented on the, “It’s kinda hard to watch a building burn from a distance because our nature is to put the fire out.”
The current statement on the cause of the fire is that it “is believed to have originated in the chemical ventilation system, possibly caused by chemical reaction.” Other than property damage, many highways were shut down due to the long-burning fire. It took until 5 a.m. to extinguish the entire flames after the firefighters fought to contain it and remain cautious all the while. It’s not clear if any failed compliances are what caused the fire yet, but per mandated report requirements the investigation will involve the ventilation system in question and the history of it’s upkeep and any repairs. This situation is never good for many obvious reasons, but if the company is liable due to negligence it’s much, much, worse.
Owning a business that works with chemicals is frustrating for a plethora of reasons, the number one being the mass of requirements in the procedures of dealing with chemicals. These processes are all extremely meticulous and highly relevant. They need to exist for situations just like the fire at Port of Catoosa, and any number of the other unfortunate chemical explosions that happened last year or even this one. We at U.S. HAZMAT Rentals want to make this process safe and simply for everyone involved. We understand entirely how difficult it is to maintain these chemicals properly, or have a place to store sensitive chemicals for maintenance on there permanent storage area. We have storage lockers that fit all requirements set by OSHA and the long list of chemical regulators. If you have questions about the process or would like to inquire about renting your own give us at U.S. HAZMAT a call. The consultation will be easy don’t worry, we do the heavy lifting in terms of finding the right locker for your project.
