Chemical Reaction Prompts Hazardous Materials Response at West Eugene Facility

EUGENE, Ore. — Firefighters responded to a hazardous materials incident at an industrial facility in West Eugene on Thursday morning after a chemical reaction caused mixing equipment to overheat, produce smoke and release gases.

The incident occurred in the 600 block of McKinley Street. Eugene Springfield Fire officials said the situation has been stabilized and there is no ongoing threat to the surrounding community or neighboring businesses.

Just before 10:45 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to the facility following reports of an industrial fire. A chemical reaction inside a piece of batch mixing equipment caused the product inside the mixing vessel to overheat and release smoke and gases.

Fire alarms activated, prompting employees to evacuate the building. Facility staff also initiated emergency response procedures and notified the fire department.

When firefighters arrived, they found the mixing vessel smoking and shifted from an industrial fire response to a hazardous materials operation. Additional firefighters and Eugene Springfield Fire’s Hazardous Materials Team responded to assist. The team is part of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Region 2 Hazardous Materials Response Team.

Firefighters monitored the vessel’s temperature and the building’s systems as the chemical reaction continued. Fire suppression equipment remained on standby throughout the operation.

The reaction took slightly more than an hour to stabilize, and monitored conditions remained well below critical risk thresholds, according to fire officials.

With the reaction stabilized, crews began ventilating the building and working with facility staff to safely restore normal operations. Firefighters also initiated decontamination procedures for personnel who had worked inside the building while monitoring conditions.

Eugene Springfield Fire crews will remain at the scene as needed to complete safety operations and assist with the facility’s return to normal activities.

Officials reiterated that the incident poses no ongoing threat to nearby residents, businesses or the surrounding community.

Questions regarding the facility or incident may be directed to Arclin at inquiries@arclin.com.

Correct the double headline formattingRemove repeated no-threat statements