Firefighters and hazardous materials technicians rushed to a facility in Franklin this morning after reports of a chemical spill coupled with a small fire. The response targeted a business located at 38 Forge Parkway, home to a polymer testing outfit. Upon arrival, crews found that the initial blaze had already been extinguished, but they were greeted with a "smoke or vapor condition" stemming from a hazardous chemical leak inside the building, according to WHDH.
The Franklin Fire Department acted swiftly, evacuating the site and calling in a specialized unit, resulting in 45 Hazardous Materials Technicians being dispatched to manage the event. A tier 3 response was indicated, and the emergency teams managed to contain the potential danger, ensuring the wider public remained unthreatened, as stated in an update posted to social media around 10 a.m. Despite the potency of the involved substances, there have been no reported injuries related to the incident.
The substance that prompted this rigorous response was identified as pyrophoric liquid metal, which is utilized in the manufacturing of electrical equipment. A tier 3 response classification signals a significant emergency, requiring an extensive deployment of hazmat resources, as noted by TurnTo10. In addition, officials brought in an on-site chemist from the polymer testing company to provide insight on how to best approach the containment of the situation.
Following the initial containment, Hazardous Materials Technicians set about preparing to isolate the pyrophoric liquid metal. By early afternoon, the situation had been fully managed, and the crews began clearing the area, as stated by the Franklin Fire Department in their final update around 2 p.m. The exact cause of the fire and how the chemical was released have not been detailed, but the quick response and expert handling of the situation prevented the potentially dangerous event from escalating further.
