Plan would have helped in chemical fire

Plan would have helped in a chemical fire
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published Sept. 10, 2003


A serious chemical fire that erupted in the Glenlyon business park last year probably would have turned out differently if the Burnaby Fire Department had a pre-incident plan in place last year.

The incident, which occurred on May 24, 2002, started when improperly stored chemicals spilled and the resulting vapours leaked through an unapproved door in the storage area, and were ignited by the open flame of a domestic hot water tank.

"That was a classic example of where we needed a pre-incident plan," fire investigator Doug Hahn told the Burnaby NOW recently. "There was an explosion and chemical fire, and we had to evacuate the surrounding buildings.

"Our guys were using night vision goggles, and it still took us half a day just to get inside the building."

In this instance, a pre-incident plan would have been most useful after the flames were brought under control by the building's sprinkler system, and the firefighters were preparing to enter.

A pair of the fire department's hazmat responders donned their chemical suits and slowly entered the building, taking atmospheric readings to determine if the area was safe. The readings showed the building was filled with dangerous chemicals, and firefighters were forced to back off for another eight hours before they could safely enter the building.

Hahn said a pre-incident plan would have helped protect the firefighters on the scene, and the workers who had to evacuate the neighbourhood.

"The concern was the chemical hazard," Hahn said. "Were there damaged containers in the building, and where were they? And where were they in relation to storm drains or other hazards that could put those chemicals into the atmosphere?

"We'd have known where the hazards were and the seriousness of the hazards," Hahn said. "As it was, we spent most of the day taking air samples, trying to figure out what these chemicals were."

Hahn noted the ensuing tangle of red tape involving the Worker's Compensation Board and insurance companies resulted in the building's owner taking steps to ensure a similar mishap could not happen again.

"The fire made them realize they couldn't do business the way they were going," Hahn said. "So their expanded facilities were designed to handle these materials. Luckily, nobody was hurt and now they've actually got control of their product, when they didn't have control before."