Chemical Fire Fells 44 Los Angeles Fire Fighters
On May 6, a first-alarm assignment of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, consisting of two engines, a ladder company and a battalion chief, were dispatched to a fire at 11661 Wicks Street in the Sun Valley area of Los Angeles. The building involved belonged to Poly Resins, Inc., a plastics-processing concern. It was a one-story structure, 65 feet by 95 feet.
First-arriving units found the plant charged with smoke and it was necessary to use breathing apparatus to effect entry. When fire fighters wearing demand masks got into the building, they discovered a small fire burning at the vent of a large drying oven. This fire was quickly extinguished with a carbon dioxide extinguisher.
While the fire was being extinguished, other men from the two engine companies donned filter masks, but these proved ineffective and they were forced to return to the outside. When final extinguishment was complete and the drying oven opened, it was discovered than six 55-gallon drums of some material were inside the oven, boiling furiously. All six drums had ruptured and fumes were being given off freely.
The plant’s chemist was called to the scene before the oven was opened and before overhauling operations had started. After much deliberation, he determined that the material involved contained Triphenylphosphite. This material, when heated, gives off phosphine gas which is highly toxic.
Although the chemist told the battalion commander the material was not dangerous, the chief instructed all members who were not equipped with breathing apparatus to remain outside the building. The smoke from this burning material was very heavy, however, and even the fire fighters outside the structure received some exposure. Additional fire department units were called to provide more self-contained masks and overhauling was accomplished only by men wearing suitable respiratory protective equipment.
As a result of their contamination by exposure, some 44 men were examined by the fire and police surgeons at Central Receiving Hospital. This procedure was largely precatitionary as only two firemen were hospitalized for further observation. The other 42 fire fighters were released after examination but were ordered back to the hospital for the two following weeks for checks against possible effects of the gas.
Press accounts quoted one of the two men most seriously affected, Fireman Charles Norman, as saying, “Frank Sieman (the other victim) and I were inside the plant, working near the ovens with hand extinguishers. It wasn’t much of a fire, and we weren’t wearing masks. The fire was almost out when I began having trouble with my breathing. I turned around and saw Frank clutching at his throat. Then I saw some drums piled up nearby. They were labeled Triphenylphosphine. I knew then we were in trouble.”
Triphenylphosphine is defined by N. Irving Sax in Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, as follows: “Probably highly toxic; fire hazard moderate when exposed to heat or flame; explosion hazard slight in the form of vapor when exposed to flame; disaster control dangerous. When heated to decomposition it emits highly toxic fumes of phosphine and oxides of phosphorus; can react violently with oxidizing materials.”
FIRE ENGINEERING is indebted to Fire Chief William Miller and Deputy Chief William R. Goss, Los Angeles Fire Department, for the special report on this incident.
Oregon Chiefs Meet
The Oregon State Fire Chiefs’ Association held its annual conference on June 21 to 24 at Eugene. Chief E. L. Smith of Eugene was elected president; Chief Ted Miller, Four Comers, first vice president; and Chief Vern Carlon, Bend, second vice president. Re-elected were Chief Harry Kreiger, Springfield, secretary, and Chief Ivan Pearson, McMinnville, treasurer.
The conference was part of a joint meeting of four Oregon organizations. Convening the same time were the Northwest Section, International Municipal Signal Association; the Oregon Rural Fire Directors Association and the Oregon Volunteer Firemen’s Association.
