In December 1998, a large multitenant warehouse facility in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, went up in flames and burned for more than three days before the fire was finally extinguished. More than 28,000 tons of various plastic products were stored in this facility. The products not only burned but also created a serious environmental problem that included hot liquid plastic runoff and acrid smoke.
Firefighting actuaries involved about 40 fire departments responding from Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The Mt. Vernon fire and rescue chief served as incident commander. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency responded to the environmental problems that resulted from the burning and molten plastic material. Outside contractors were called in to monitor the atmosphere and construct berms and dikes to stem the flow of hot plastic to waterways and sewers.
This article covers one aspect of this tremendous loss-the source of the fire, its probable cause, and corrective procedures that could be employed to minimize, or even avoid, the conditions that could lead to another such event.
If you are a current subscriber,login hereto access this content.
If you would like to become a subscriber, please visit ushere.
