Nursery fire involving chemicals fought in Franklin, CT

Justin Muszynski

Hartford Courant

(TNS)

Thousands of pounds of fertilizer and pesticides were burned early Monday in a fire at a Franklin daycare center that prompted a shelter-in-place order for a mile and sent two firefighters to the hospital, officials said.

The fire broke out in the early morning hours at The Plant Group, LLC., where multiple fire departments responded to a report of a warehouse fire involving fertilizer and possibly pesticides, according to fire officials and a State Department spokesperson. Energy and environmental protection.

The response included the Franklin, Lebanon, Mohegan and Bozrah fire departments, as well as the DEEP Emergency Response Unit.

The fire was largely under control shortly after 10 a.m. and some hot spots remained, officials said.

About 10 tons of ammonium-based fertilizer and a full pallet of pesticides were lost in the fire, according to a DEEP spokesperson.

As a precaution, a shelter-in-place order was issued for residents within a mile of the fire, according to a DEEP spokesperson, who described the area as “rural.”

“DEEP has aerial and drone monitoring and Kropp Environmental was contracted to assist with the cleanup,” said Will Healey, communications director for DEEP. “Air monitoring showed that carbon monoxide levels were low, which is normal when there is fire smoke.”

Healey said no other chemicals were detected.

Two firefighters were taken to an area hospital for possible smoke inhalation, according to fire officials.

“A berm has been constructed to prevent runoff from entering a nearby stream, and water samples will be taken,” Healey said.

Kropp — an environmental contracting and consulting firm based in Franklin — installed a vacuum truck to remove contaminated water from the site, Healey said.

It was expected that additional machinery might be used to excavate the affected soil.

“The environmental impact appears to be minimal at this time,” Healey said.