South Toledo City of Toledo Environmental Services crews and Ohio EPA crews are still keeping an eye on water runoff from a huge fire on Friday. Chemicals used in the manufacture of deodorizers and air fresheners mixed with the water.
At least two people were hurt by the two-alarm fire at D&J Manufacturing on Angola Road. The call first came in around 1:45 Friday, and wasn`t declared ``under control`` until well after 4:00pm. The fire department says the flames started in a machine, and while workers were evacuating, the flames reportedly spread to some oil, which spread the fire throughout the building. Dark gray and black smoke could be seen for miles around south Toledo.
``We`re taking every precaution because we don`t know what we`ve got,`` said Toledo Fire Safety Officer Ke Goolsby. Some of the chemical laced water made its way into city sewers and consequently to the nearby Reynolds Area Pumping station, said Goolsby. The Safety Officer added that ``a wall collapsed leading to the chemicals and water mixing.``
The City of Toledo`s wastewater treatment plant was put on alert to watch for the abnormal chemicals entering the system so they can be treated properly. Fire officials stress none of the chemicals are deadly and the city`s water supply is not in danger.
Tanker trucks with vacuum devices will collect standing water at the fire scene and haul it off to be disposed of properly. Fire crews will remain on the scene indefinitely to hose down hot spots which continue to flare up.
In addition to the D&J building, 6 other businesses had either fire, water, or smoke damage. An auto body shop, a fabrication shop, and a glass company were all affected. One business that really dodged the bullet was Buckeye Cablesystem. The company`s operation center was right next to the fire building, but upwind. Had the conditions been different, the company`s sensitive cable, phone, and Internet equipment could have been destroyed, which could have crippled the company. Fortunately for Buckeye, there was no damage to its building.
One unidentified firefighter`s toe was crushed on an aerial ladder truck. He was taken to The Toledo Hospital, and that injury was thought to be minor. There were 10-12 workers inside when the fire broke out. At least one worker from the company was taken to the hospital from the scene with a burn to his leg, but it`s not thought to be serious.
Toledo Fire Chief Mike Bell says employees tried to put out the fire themselves before calling the fire department, but they were not successful. Bell says that made things worse, since the delay allowed the fire to get much larger by the time fire crews arrived.
Investigators still aren`t sure what caused the fire. Once all the hotspots are put out, they`ll go inside and start looking for evidence.
According to the company`s web site, Exotica Fresheners is a leading manufacturer of fragrances, deodorizers and air fresheners for cars, homes, and offices. The company has been in business for more than 15 years, with distribution in over 65 countries in the five continents.
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