Woodinville, Washington – Fire at Recycling Plant Causes Smoke Over SR 522

Woodinville, Washington (June 26, 2019) – A large fire broke out at Schnitzer Steel plant in the 23700 block of 63rd Avenue Southeast on Wednesday afternoon. Fortunately, the fire happened 20 minutes after workers left the place, and no injuries have been reported in the incident. The fire was successfully put out, though it caused smoke to billow over State Route 522 and 63rd Avenue Southeast.

The fire came from a pile of scrap metal, rubber and Styrofoam at the factory. Firefighters tackled the fire from above and on the ground, with heavy equipment pulling the pile apart. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and it has been stated that finding out will be challenging considering the method used to put out the fire. The smoke from the incident caused drivers to slow down on affected roads, with troopers helping to direct traffic. The Snohomish Fire District 7 has advised people to keep out of the area and close windows.

About Warehouse Fires

According to the NFPA, the U.S. Fire Departments respond to an average of 1,210 fires in warehouse properties, which represents less than 1% of all structure fires. While it is a small figure compared to other types of structural fires, the damage can still amount up to a huge sum. The annual average damage from warehouse fires are $155 million in direct property damage, three civilian deaths, and nineteen civilian injuries. For the causes of warehouse fires, intentionally set fires and fires caused by electrical distribution and lighting equipment are the leading causes, each accounting for 18% in the total number of fires. Flammable contents like chemicals, combustible liquids and gases, piping and filter ignite the fire in 6%of the cases, which is a smaller number but accounts for 31% of civilian injuries and 12% of property damage. Aside from these causes, warehouse and factory fires can also stem from the presence of combustible dust, hot work (metalworking such as welding, soldering, etc.) and equipment and machinery. The amount of possible hazards and the nature of work in industrial settings means that workplace and fire safety conditions should always be checked.

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