Longview, Washington - Two-Alarm Fire Breaks Out at Industrial Way
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Longview, Washington – Two-Alarm Fire Breaks Out at Industrial Way

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Posted on March 2, 2020

Longview, Washington (February 27, 2020) – A two-alarm fire broke out at the J M Huber Corporation at the 3400 block of Industrial Way on Thursday night. According to an article from KOMO News, the incident affected air quality in the area on Thursday night, causing a shelter-in-place advisory for residents within a two-mile radius of the fire. However, as of Friday early morning, no trace of chlorine bleach was found 100 yards beyond the fire scene, lifting the advisory. No injuries related to the incident have been reported.

The fire started just before 9 p.m. According to information from the Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Management, which is also the lead agency in the fire, the company in charge of the affected building produces chlorine, which can cause breathing problems when it burns. The incident caused Industrial Way to be closed between Washington Way to Prudential Boulevard, with the intersection of of Weber Avenue and Hoehne Avenue also closed.

About Fire

It is fortunate that no one was injured in this particular case, and the firefighters are to be commended for their response. Like any other structure, commercial buildings must be checked for fire safety. Most if not all the steps in fire safety involve securing the area of one’s business or residence. It is also important to make sure that possible combustible materials are discarded properly or at the very least kept away from buildings. They also urge owners of buildings to review fire safety and make sure that an escape plan is formulated in case of fire.

According to the NFPA, the U.S. Fire Departments respond to an average of 1,210 fires in warehouse properties, which represents less than 1% of all structure fires. While it is a small figure compared to other types of structural fires, the damage can still amount up to a huge sum. The annual average damage from warehouse fires are $155 million in direct property damage, three civilian deaths, and nineteen civilian injuries. For the causes of warehouse fires, intentionally set fires and fires caused by electrical distribution and lighting equipment are the leading causes, each accounting for 18% in the total number of fires. Flammable contents like chemicals, combustible liquids and gases, piping and filter ignite the fire in 6%of the cases, which is a smaller number but accounts for 31% of civilian injuries and 12% of property damage. Aside from these causes, warehouse and factory fires can also stem from the presence of combustible dust, hot work (metalworking such as welding, soldering, etc.) and equipment and machinery. The amount of possible hazards and the nature of work in industrial settings means that workplace and fire safety conditions should always be checked.

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