Firefighters got the call Wednesday, August 12 at 12:45 a.m. at the facility on Sauget Industrial Parkway, where the company stored the chemical in palletized form. Up to 15 pallets of the chlorinated oxidizer were involved, with firefighters managing the fire and contaminated run-off.
The material in the fire was trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA), a chlorinated oxidizer used in swimming-pool sanitation and industrial disinfection. The substance can cause irritation to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract and is reactive with water.
Water ended up used to control the chemical plume while responders simultaneously worked to contain contaminated run-off.
The water-reactive properties of TCCA added complexity to the response, requiring crews to balance fire suppression with control of contaminated water generated during the operation.
Emergency personnel continued working at the site as the chemical hazard and fire conditions ended up under control. The shelter-in-place order was lifted at approximately 9 a.m. as conditions improved.
Firefighters battle a blaze at the ContainerPort Group facility in Sauget, Illinois, that required a hazardous materials response after pallets of acid caught fire.
Source: First Alert 4 screen capture
As a precaution, all schools in the East St. Louis School District #189 closed due to the fire. Additionally, railroad operations in the area also shut down.
There were no injuries in the incident and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.