Revere, Mass. — Two firefighters dealing with a fire in overheated machinery late Friday, Oct. 5, were unexpectedly doused with an undetermined amount of anhydrous ammonia at the New England Candy Co. (NECCO) and had to be taken to the hospital for oxygen therapy. Both were treated and released, according to Revere Fire Chief Gene Doherty. “We believe the ensuing fire compromised a condenser line that caused the ammonia leak,” Doherty explained. “When they went into the room it was only a fire. There hadn’t been any ammonia leak. But while they were fighting the fire the pipe broke and they got ammonia on their regular firefighting suits, which didn’t provide protection from ammonia. They had on their breathing apparatus, but when they got outside they hadn’t decontaminated the ammonia that was left on their suits.” Doherty said investigators believe an overheated machine may have triggered a fire and chemical release, but a final determination won’t be made until investigators are able to get into the location as soon as the environmental cleanup work is complete. NECCO operations were still shut down early in the week. “We haven’t been able to measure the amount of ammonia that was released,” Doherty commented. “We shut off the piping system and the main valve. The system can hold up to 3,000 gallons, and the ammonia tanks hold 30,000 gallons.” He said that hazardous material teams are monitoring conditions at the site and air quality in the neighborhood, and that although some area residents may have noticed a slight odor in the air, apparently there wasn’t any danger.
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