Warm Springs Fire 10/22/2010

Property Owners Stuff

Fire Building

Fire Facts

• Location– 6275 Warm Springs

• Times – Initial Fire call @– HazMat Response @1145– State Comm. notified @ 1233– Scene Cleared @ 1940

Why HazMat got Involved

• Partial product identification – noxtane

• Property owner history

• Strange colored smoke

• Strange colored run off

• FF contamination worries

Initial Objectives

• Meet with IC• Characterize the scene• Identify actions for released companies• Identify actions for on scene companies• Initiate State Plan• Locate and identify possible chemicals• Locate source of odd colored runoff and

smoke

State Plan Activation

• Initial call to State Comm.

• Conference call with– BHS– DEQ– IC– RRT– Health Dept.– Dept of Ag– EPA

Results of Conference Call

• Boise Fire HazMat upgraded to State RRT

• RRT to continue to characterize site

• Identify chemicals on site

• DEQ and EPA reps to respond to site

Chemicals We did Identify

• Noxtane– Borates with tetra sodium salts– Sodium pentachlorophenate

• Sodium Nitrate• Sodium pentaclorophene• Calcium Sulfate• Potassium Dichromate• Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate• Mercury

Other Possible Chemical Worries

• Cyanide

• Arsenic

• Veterinary Supplies

Mercury

• Property owner was a placer miner

• Monitored area using Lumex

• Reading from 6,000 to 13,000 ng/cm3

• EPA OSC and DEQ respond on scene.

Transition – ER to Cleanup

• Per the Idaho State Hazmat Plan, Local IC has command and State RRTs provide support until the emergency is mitigated.

• For cleanup phase the response transitions to EPA or DEQ, or unified EPA/DEQ command.

• At Warms Springs Fire there was an on site transfer of command from Boise Fire to EPA/DEQ Unified Command.

Boise Fire called back to put out hot spots

Removing Noxtane (sodium pentachlorophenate)

Screening fire debris with Lumex

Cleanup of mercury and PCP contaminated soils

What Went Well?

• Boise Fire quickly recognized hazmat potential. Mitigated exposure potential of first responders.

• RRT-4 identified chemical concerns and general areas of contamination using field detection equipment.

• On-site formal transfer of command from local IC to EPA/DEQ

• Continued coordination with local agencies through ID State Comm and use of State Lab for quick turn-around analytical.