Saturday, February 7, 2015

METHANOL LEAKED INTO STORM DRAINS AND INTO WINONA LAKE AFTER CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN WARSAW, INDIANA. 8 INJURED FROM WARSAW CHEMICAL FIRE, 50 HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE EVACUATED








METHANOL LEAKED INTO STORM DRAINS AND INTO WINONA LAKE AFTER CHEMICAL PLANT FIRE IN WARSAW, INDIANA.  8 INJURED FROM WARSAW CHEMICAL FIRE, 50 HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE EVACUATED



The Indiana DNR reports an unknown amount of chemicals, mostly methanol, made its way into the storm drains and into Winona Lake, which turned the lake and snow blue and green from the dyes in the chemicals. It’s possible that thousands of gallons of chemical and water mixture went into the lake.

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

WARSAW, Ind. (WANE/ WSBT) – 

Crews responded to reports of an explosion at a chemical plant in Warsaw Friday morning. Warsaw Chemical, located at 2300 E. Durbin St. is well known for producing car washing products.

Two fire departments arrived at the plant at 11:15 a.m., according to WSBT-TV. Residents within 1,000 feet north and east of the plant were asked to evacuate. The area remains under evacuation until further notice and until air quality tests have been performed.

The Indiana DNR reports an unknown amount of chemicals, mostly methanol, made its way into the storm drains and into Winona Lake, which turned the lake and snow blue and green from the dyes in the chemicals. It’s possible that thousands of gallons of chemical and water mixture went into the lake.

Methanol is poisonous to the central nervous system and may cause blindness, coma, and death.  Methanol has a high toxicity in humans. If as little as 10 mL of pure methanol is ingested, for example, it can break down into formic acid, which can cause permanent blindness by destruction of the optic nerve, and 30 mL is potentially fatal.

Lt. Kip Shuter of the Warsaw Police Department said eight people were injured. Out of those eight people, five were with the Warsaw City Waste Water Treatment and two were firemen. Their injuries included burning eyes and lungs. One person was also treated for burns on his hands.

Each person was decontaminated and taken to a hospital for further treatment.
Police said run-off from the fire went down the hill into Winona Lake.
Shuter says about 50 homes and businesses within 1,000 feet of the plant were evacuated. The evacuation was lifted around 3:30 p.m.