Fire Department

Additional details regarding the Hazardous Incident Team response: Two HIT members entered the laboratory as a recon team, protected by full turnout gear, self-contained breathing apparatuses, and boot covers. Three additional members went in to neutralize the spill and monitor the air for any toxins. Chemicals that were involved were: Hexane, Petroleum Ether, Ethyl Ether, Alcohols and Hydrochloric Acid. The scene was then turned back over to the lab workers. --PIO Cynthia Schuster.

Firefighters responded to Covance Laboratories on Kinsman Blvd. after a fire broke out in a laboratory hood system. Nobody was injured.

It is believed that a spark from within a work station ignited some flammable chemicals, causing a chain reaction that resulted in a fire large enough to trigger the lab’s automatic fire sprinkler system. In addition to suppression by the sprinkler, a security guard also deployed a fire extinguisher. The fire was out when Engine Company 8 and other MFD crews arrived.

The Madison Fire Department’s Hazardous Incident Team also responded to the lab to further investigate the scene and neutralized any remaining chemical hazards.