Puyallup building where commercial fire spurred local evacuation contains toxic chemical
A Puyallup storage facility is on fire Saturday morning, and residents within a 1.1-mile radius of the building have been evacuated due to concerns over toxic smoke and a potential explosion.
Washington Cold Storage at 15th Street Southeast and East Main caught on fire around 5:20 a.m., according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue.
According to the company’s website, they provide “full service cold storage.” The facility includes a temperature-controlled loading dock, 47,000 square feet of freezer storage, 25,000 square feet of chilled storage and 40,000 square feet of dry storage.
Washington Cold Storage distributes to “all points in the Pacific Northwest.” The company has another location in Kent.
The building holds 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue said in a statement.
According to the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration, anhydrous ammonia is widely used as a refrigerant in industrial facilities. Ammonia storage is connected to a closed refrigerating system through pipes.
The chemical is also flammable and explosive.
“It can explode if released in an enclosed space with a source of ignition present, or if a vessel containing anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire,” the OSHA website said.
Ammonia is considered a “high health hazard” because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs, the federal agency said.
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“Exposure to 300 [parts per million] is immediately dangerous to life and health,” OSHA’s website said.
This story was originally published August 21, 2021 at 10:06 AM.
