Springfield firefighters suited up in white hazmat gear Wednesday afternoon after a call involving unidentified white powder sent crews rushing to the 90 Meat Outlet on Avocado Street. The response began shortly before 4 p.m., and first responders taped off the area as they worked to assess the situation, according to WWLP.
According to WWLP, the 90 Meat Outlet store was surrounded by caution tape by the time its crew arrived on scene, with first responders still working in the area. Firefighters were seen pulling on white hazmat suits before approaching the building, the station reported.
Drew Piemonte told WWLP that firefighters were investigating a tier 1 hazmat incident involving white powder.
No Injuries Reported So Far
WWLP reported that no injuries had been reported by the time of its account.
How common are hazardous-condition calls?
The available statewide data do not show how Springfield compares with other Massachusetts communities or isolate hazmat responses. The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services’ 2023 MFIRS report counted 40,208 hazardous-condition calls with no fire—3% of reported non-fire incidents. That statewide category does not establish what happened in this specific call.
A Separate Hazmat Call At Another Springfield Plant
In September, hazmat crews responded to Smithfield Packaged Meats on Carando Drive after a 5-gallon pail of ether and acid began emitting fumes inside a room at the facility, according to Western Mass News. The call came in around 6:39 a.m. and prompted a HAZMAT team response.
In that earlier incident, officials said no one was injured and emergency services reported no hazard to the surrounding community, with the source of the emission ultimately secured. There is no indication connecting that September response to Wednesday's incident at the 90 Meat Outlet, and the two should be treated as separate events.
At the time of WWLP’s report, it had not been reported whether the scene was cleared or what the white powder was determined to be, according to WWLP.
