ROAD AND TRAFFIC SAFETY STUDY ORDERED INTO 193-VEHICLE CRASH ON I-94 IN MICHIGAN THAT KILLED ONE AND INJURED AT LEAST 20 OTHERS

 

ROAD AND TRAFFIC SAFETY STUDY ORDERED INTO 193-VEHICLE CRASH ON I-94 IN MICHIGAN THAT KILLED ONE AND INJURED AT LEAST 20 OTHERS

February 7, 2015

KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN – As investigators complete their reports on a huge January traffic crash, a study of I-94 is underway.

Michigan State Police have sent their reports to the Kalamazoo County prosecutor on their investigation into the 193-vehicle crash on Jan. 9.

An accident in the eastbound lanes followed by another in the westbound lanes killed one truck driver and injured more than 20 other people.

Several vehicles caught fire, one leaked toxic chemicals and another loaded with fireworks exploded and the highway was closed for more than two days.

The reports will be reviewed by the prosecutor's office for any possible charges, officials said Friday.

Meanwhile a study of the interstate is underway, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Jeff Cranson, a spokesman for the department, said the review will take four to six months and will consider a variety of issues on I-94 from the Indiana state line to US-127 in Jackson.

Cranson said MDOT and state police will consider traffic operations, roadway geometry, law enforcement activity, crash history and related weather conditions.

He said detailed analysis will be conducted on areas of the road with higher rates of incidents.

State Senator Margaret O'Brien of the 20th district, which includes the crash scene, said she asked for the Road Safety Audit.

In January, O'Brien asked Gov. Rick Snyder to order a study on the eastbound section of I-94 where the first accident occurred "and offer recommendations on possible changes to the roadway."

She listed figures from the state police showing that in the 12-mile stretch of highway where the accident occurred had 230 accidents in 2011, 222 accidents in 2012 and 275 accidents in 2013.

MDOT director, Kurt Steudle, in a letter to O'Brien, said the study will be conducted by representatives from his department, MSP, Federal Highway Administration, and Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning.

He said the study team could provide both short- and long-term changes.

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.

FIREPLACE ASHES TOO CLOSE TO COMBUSTIBLES CAUSED A FIRE IN THE ALEXANDRIA AREA OF FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA THAT DISPLACED A FAMILY OF FOUR.

                                      The home prior to the fire

 

FIREPLACE ASHES TOO CLOSE TO COMBUSTIBLES CAUSED A FIRE IN THE ALEXANDRIA AREA OF FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA THAT DISPLACED A FAMILY OF FOUR.

February 6, 2015

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA:

Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department units responded to a house fire Thursday at approximately 7:10 p.m., in the Alexandria area of Fairfax County. The single-family home is located at 6012 Pike Branch Road.

The area is near the intersection of Telegraph and Wilton roads.

Firefighters encountered heavy smoke coming from the basement and first floor of the two-story home upon arrival. Firefighters were challenged in locating the origin of the fire because the fire was hidden inside a wall and void spaces.  It took firefighters approximately 15 minutes to extinguish the fire.

Firefighters conducted extensive overhaul and salvage operations to ensure all the fire had been extinguished. The occupants were not at home when the fire broke out.

Two adults and two children have been displaced. Red Cross support was declined by the occupants. Smoke alarms were present and activated. There were no injuries.

Damage is estimated at $65,000.

According to fire investigators, the fire was accidental. Fireplace ashes too close to combustibles caused the fire.

Fireplace Safety Tips

• Ensure that your chimney is cleaned and inspected by a licensed professional once a year.
• A spark arrestor across the top of a chimney will prevent sparks from igniting your roof.
• Use the proper fuel (seasoned hardwood, pellets, and gas/propane) for your type of system. Never use gasoline, kerosene, or other flammable liquids to start a fire.
• Fireplaces should have a sturdy screen across the front to prevent embers from flying or logs from rolling out.
• When clearing ashes from the fireplace, be sure to put them into a metal container with a lid—never into a cardboard box or paper bag.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Many “non-masonry” fireplace/chimney units have limitations on the amount of heat they can safely withstand.

OCEAN GROVE, NJ FIRE DESTROYS SEVERAL GROUND STORES AND 10 APARTMENTS. THE CAUSE AND ORIGIN INVESTIGATION IS ON GOING

 

OCEAN GROVE, NJ FIRE DESTROYS SEVERAL GROUND STORES AND 10 APARTMENTS.  THE CAUSE AND ORIGIN INVESTIGATION IS ON GOING

February 6, 2015

OCEAN GROVE, NJ:

A fire on Friday afternoon tore through a three-story building in Ocean Grove, N.J., destroying several ground-level stores and about 10 apartments in the heart of the small, historic shore community, officials said.

The blaze, which started at 50 Main Avenue about 3:30 p.m. and raged for several hours, caused no major injuries, though one of the dozens of firefighters who responded injured a leg, said Lt. Michael McGhee, a spokesman for the Police Department in Neptune Township, which includes Ocean Grove. But the fire left the building all but demolished, Mayor Mary Beth Jahn said.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation late Friday. Officials believe it started on one of the top two floors, which housed the apartments.

“It is torched,” Lieutenant McGhee said of the wood-and-brick building, which was fronted by trees on a quaint shopping-district street, set just two blocks from the ocean. He and other officials said giant plumes of smoke billowed into the air for hours, filling the sky and attracting about 100 residents who stood in the freezing cold, making sure neighbors were safe and lamenting the damage to their main street.

The mayor said the third floor of the building had collapsed into the second floor, and added that it appeared the entire structure would need to be razed. On Friday evening, she said, some firefighters were still putting out pockets of fire left in the smoking, charred building, but the initial blaze had been contained. Lieutenant McGee said that firefighters from 12 Jersey Shore towns, including all seven firehouses in Neptune Township, responded to the blaze.

“Ocean Grove is a unique, old Shore community,” said Randy Bishop, a Neptune Township committeeman, by phone, as he stood at a scene marked by “thick, thick smoke.”

“People are talking about the fact that we will rebuild, we will come back, we will continue to be Ocean Grove,” Mr. Bishop said.

The central New Jersey hamlet, which is filled with Victorian homes, borders Asbury Park and is less than 60 miles from Manhattan. It was founded in the late 1800s as a religious retreat for Methodists, officials said.