Firefighters had to be decontaminated after fighting an Oct. 30 fire at Eastside Plating in Portland, Ore.
Reported at 9:25 a.m., crews arrived to find the fire inside a hopper, KOIN reported. Because quantities of aluminum shavings were engulfed, a hazmat team recommended firefighters not use water on the blaze. Instead, responders utilized dry chemical and carbon dioxide fire extinguisher materials.
The facility, located in the southeast industrial district, performs a variety of metal finishing services, including anodizing, plating, powder coating, chemical or laser marking and a variety of pre-finish and specialized processes. According to their website, a wide array of metals are used for their clients.
Crews managed to contain the blaze to the hopper and eventually put it out. Once the job was complete, firefighters had to be decontaminated due to their close contact with burning metal shavings and gases.
Despite the toxic hazard, no injuries were reported.
The fire was believed to have started in the air ducts, KXL News reported. The cause, however, has not been revealed. According to KOIN, it is currently under investigation.
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