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Entries for December 1998
Sunday
Dec 20 |
Margate, Tasmania: A facility for storing and processing apples was destroyed by fire. Four firefighters were injured battling the blaze. More information |
Saturday
Dec 19 |
Los Angeles, CA: A gasoline tanker and a car collided, rolling the tanker on its side. The driver of the car, trapped in his vehicle, died when the tanker exploded. The truck driver escaped with minor injuries. More information |
Saturday
Dec 19 |
Raliegh, N.C.: A gasoline tanker-truck driver was killed when his rig struck an abandoned pickup left protruding into the highway. The tanker exploded and burned. Police later determined that the pickup was stolen. More information |
Saturday
Dec 19 |
Dade City, FL: Firefighter fought three hours to extinguish a blaze in a feed mill at an orange juice plant. The fire was located in equipment used to turn orange peels into cattle feed. More information |
Saturday
Dec 19 |
Grande Prairie, Alberta: Fire caused extensive damage to an oilfield trucking companys headquarters. More information |
Thursday
Dec 17 |
Mount Vernon, IN: A four-day fire destroyed an eight-acre warehouse and 28 million pounds of plastic products. Officials were concerned about possible contamination of a nearby river. More information |
Thursday
Dec 17 |
Roanoke, TX: Volunteer firefighters conducted a confined space rescue when a construction worker fell 35 feet into a hole. More information |
Wednesday
Dec 16 |
Philadelphia, PA: A seven-alarm blaze swept through a five-story warehouse located near many historic structures. More information |
Wednesday
Dec 16 |
Camden City, N.J.: Firefighters were called in to deal with a trash fire at a steam plant. More information |
Wednesday
Dec 16 |
St. Louis, MO: A fire at a recycling facility caused major damage. More information |
Wednesday
Dec 16 |
North Kingstown, R.I.: Workers were evacuated when an ammonia leak was reported at a metal foundry. More information |
Wednesday
Dec 16 |
Jackson, OH: An overturned tanker truck carrying hazardous materials closed a 25 mile stretch of highway for eight hours. It was later determined that none of the cargo had spilled. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Cincinnati, OH: Nitric acid vapor leaking from a tank truck at a manufacturing plant spread across the skies above a nearby residential area. The vapor was too diluted to cause harm. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Upper Freehold, N.J.: A tanker hauling more than 2,000 gallons of propane overturned and burst into flames after a collision with another vehicle. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Midvale, UT: A tanker carrying liquid hydrogen overturned without rupturing. Traffic on an interstate highway was closed throughout the afternoon and evening. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Chattanooga, TN: Firefighters freed a construction worker buried nearly 15 hours in a collapsed ditch. The worker required two hours of surgery and was listed in critical condition. Check the -April 1999 edition of IFW for details.) More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Lindon, UT: A worker at a manufacturing plant narrowly escaped losing his hand when he caught it in moving machinery at work. He lost most of the skin from his palm. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Corpus Christi, TX: Dozens of workers were overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes released at a local refinery. Only one of the workers was hospitalized. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Landover, MD: Three workers were listed in critical condition after being overcome by leaking refrigerant at a food warehouse. Two other workers were also hospitalized. More information |
Tuesday
Dec 15 |
Calgary, Alberta: Firefighters worked to rescue a man trapped inside a concrete hopper with his arm caught in its machinery. More information |
Monday
Dec 14 |
Trainer, PA: Fire spread from a burning truck to a crude oil pipeline at a refinery. No injuries were reported. The same refinery experienced a major fire in October. More information |
Monday
Dec 14 |
Billings, MT: A worker had one leg amputated above the knee after a refinery accident. Routine maintenance on a coker unit was underway at the time. More information |
Monday
Dec 14 |
Tooele, UT: A containment dike caught a 140 gallon spill of sarin, a toxic chemical weapon. The agent was being poured into an incinerator for disposal. More information |
Monday
Dec 14 |
Thermopolis, WY: A pup trailer tanker separated from a moving tractor-trailer rig and crashed, leaking nearly 2,500 gallons of gasoline into the Wind River. More information |
Monday
Dec 14 |
New Braunfels, TX: A tanker truck carrying diesel fuel overturned on an interstate highway, blocking traffic for nearly five hours. The fuel was transferred to another vehicle. More information |
Monday
Dec 14 |
Southbridge, MA: A worker was injured when a methanol fire broke out at a plant specializing in fiber optics. Firefighters also had to deal with refrigerant leaking from a pipe damaged by the fire. More information |
Sunday
Dec 13 |
Cushing, OK: Residents living near an abandoned refinery are being asked to leave for eight hours today while 6,000 gallons of hydrofluoric acid are removed from the site. More information |
Sunday
Dec 13 |
Lake County, FL: A 15,000-square-foot warehouse was extensively damaged by fire. More information |
Sunday
Dec 13 |
Elkhart, IN: A lumber warehouse was destroyed by fire. More information |
Sunday
Dec 13 |
Chicago, IL: Fire caused major damage to a multi-story warehouse. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Duluth, IN: Ignited dust created a plume of fire in an air shaft at a lumber mill. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Santo Antonio de Jesus, Brazil: More than 30 people were killed in an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory that involved 1.5 tons of explosives. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Lone Oak, TX: Fire destroyed a petroleum packing plant complete with 150,000 gallons of oil and solvents near San Antonio. Volunteer firefighters opted to let the fire burn itself out. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Northfield Township, OH: Traffic was halted for several hours until hazmat technicians could determine what an unknown substance covering the roadway was. It turned out to be sour milk. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Saxonburgh, PA: A magnesium-fueled explosion at a local plant was loud but caused minor damage. One worker was injured. In October at the same plant magnesium in a tanker truck ignited, destroying a warehouse. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Continental Divide, N.M.: A ruptured natural gas pipeline sent flames 200 feet into the sky and left a 65 foot wide crater. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Rock Island, IL: Two 25 pound bags of calcium oxide caught fire at a disposal plant forcing an evacuation of nearby homes. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Somerset, ME: A cable fire forced the shut down of a electrical power station. More information |
Saturday
Dec 12 |
Granville Township, PA: An arson fire caused major damage to a wood recycling plant. Officials report this is the second such arson at a local business in recent weeks. More information |
Friday
Dec 11 |
St. Cloud, MN: A natural gas pipeline exploded, rocking downtown and killing at least four people. Twenty more were injured. More information |
Friday
Dec 11 |
Jefferson Township, MI: A blast flattened a fireworks factory, leaving seven workers missing and presumed dead. More information |
Friday
Dec 11 |
Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec: The last of nearly 22,000 tons of PCB-contaminated material was scheduled to be removed from the site of an August 1988 warehouse fire. More information |
Friday
Dec 11 |
York, PA: Firefighters responded to a fire at a counter top manufacturing plant that involved machinery. More information |
Friday
Dec 11 |
Seymour, CT: Nearly 200 workers were evacuated after many were overcome by fumes. More than 30 went to area hospitals. More information |
Friday
Dec 11 |
Piketon, OH: Workers were evacuated from a plant specializing in enriching uranium for nuclear power plants when a fire broke out in a motor. Four workers were treated for minor injuries. More information |
Thursday
Dec 10 |
Islington, New Zealand: A 100-ton bitumen storage tank was blasted off its foundation in an early morning explosion. More information |
Thursday
Dec 10 |
Truro Township, Ohio: A slow-speed derailment of tank cars hauling ammonia nitrate and chlorine had firefighters concerned. The situation was resolved without incident. More information |
Thursday
Dec 10 |
Kothagudem, India: Two units at a thermal power station were closed due to fire. More information |
Thursday
Dec 10 |
Fayetteville, AR: Workers removed drums of hazardous materials discovered at a closed electroplating plant. A leaking drum of potassium cyanide was found at the site several months earlier. More information |
Wednesday
Dec 09 |
Patna, India: A gasoline tanker and a passenger bus collided and burned, killing more than 50 people. More information |
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