Stratford Firefighter Injured in Chemical Plant Blaze

A Stratford firefighter suffered a facial injury at a fire at a chemical plant Tuesday night.

The firefighter received treatment at the Bridgeport Hospital emergency room and was released.

Firefighters received a 911 call reporting that heavy smoke was coming from the roof area of the Total Petrochemicals and Refining plant, located at 105 Ontario Street, at 10:25 p.m. on Tuesday.

Stratford 911 personnel directed the caller to evacuate the building and a “working structure fire” assignment was transmitted for the facility at 10:26 p.m., Deputy Chief Jon Gottfried said in a press release.

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At 10:33 p.m., the first arriving Stratford Fire Rescue units reported heavy fire and smoke issuing from the roof area of the plant. The building was evacuated prior to the fire department arrival.

Gottfried said an aggressive attack by first arriving fire crews were able to confine the fire to the manufacturing dust collection system, which collects Zinc Diacrylate, which is blended with Zinc Dimethacrylate and heptane to produce a proprietary component for use in the manufacture of golf balls among other items, according to plant officials.

Read more from the press release below:

Due to the physical nature of the chemicals that the firefighters were exposed to while in the process of extinguishing the fire, the Fairfield County Hazardous Material Response Team was summoned to the scene to conduct on-site decontamination of the firefighter’s protective gear and equipment prior to leaving the scene.

Additionally, a field response coordinator from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was requested to respond to the scene to oversee the cleanup process at the plant. During the course of the emergency operation, one firefighter suffered a facial injury and was transported to Bridgeport Hospital ER and was treated and subsequently released.

Assistant Chief John Conway, the on duty shift commander declared the incident under control at 1:45 a.m., however, fire department crews remained on-scene until 3:12 a.m.

A total of six engine companies and one tower ladder responded from Stratford Fire with a total of 33 personnel, additionally seven specially trained hazardous materials technicians responded from Fairfield County Hazardous Materials Response Team to conduct decontamination operations. Both Bridgeport Fire and Milford Fire Departments sent engine companies to cover the Town of Stratford while Stratford crews were tied up at the incident.

Stratford EMS sent a paramedic ambulance and rehabilitation crew to evaluate firefighters engaged in the operation. The Stratford Fire Marshal’s Office is conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.

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