By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• Ten firefighters from Carl Junction and Joplin, Missouri, were treated at a hospital after exposure to a caustic liquid while fighting an industrial building fire Friday.
• The incident occurred about 11:54 a.m. at Black Cat Trucking on North Black Cat Road west of Joplin.
• Firefighters reported skin irritation and caustic liquid melted parts of their boots, officials said.
• Mutual-aid departments from Galena, Kansas, also responded to the blaze.
• The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and fire marshal investigators were assisting on scene; the fire’s cause remains under investigation.
CARL JUNCTION, MO — Ten firefighters were sent to a Joplin hospital Friday as a precaution after exposure to a caustic liquid that melted parts of their boots while battling an industrial building fire, officials said.
Carl Junction Fire Protection District/Facebook
The fire was reported at about 11:54 a.m. at Black Cat Trucking, 300 N. Black Cat Road, west of Joplin near the Joplin Athletic Complex, according to Carl Junction Fire Chief Joe Perkins.
Firefighters from both the Carl Junction Fire Protection District and Joplin Fire Department reported skin irritation following contact with a caustic substance inside the burning structure, Perkins said. Portions of their boots were damaged by the liquid, prompting transport to a hospital for evaluation and decontamination.
Galena, Kansas, fire crews also assisted at the scene. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources was on site to help contain runoff from firefighting efforts and prevent the spread of hazardous materials, Perkins added.
A Missouri state fire marshal’s investigator and a private hazardous-materials contractor were assisting with monitoring air quality and determining the origin of the blaze, which was largely brought under control in about an hour.
Officials have not released specifics about the chemical involved, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.