Base helps douse blaze: Fire at plastics plant near Travis engages Travis Firefighters

  • Published
  • By Merrie Schilter-Lowe
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif --    Travis dispatched 15 firefighters and four firefighting vehicles Tuesday to what Fairfield fire officials described as a six-alarm fire at a plastics manufacturing company in Fairfield.
Base emergency responders received a call from the Fairfield Fire Department at about 1:10 p.m. and dispatched seven firefighters and three fire vehicles, said Donald Richert, 60th Civil Engineer Squadron assistant chief of training for the base fire department and a member of the base's emergency operations center during the fire.
 
   However, the intensity of the blaze, which was visible miles away, prompted the call for a fourth firefighting vehicle from Travis. The base also recalled additional firefighters to be ready to respond if needed. 
 
  "We have a mutual aid agreement with emergency responders to assist with capability and manpower," said Mr. Richert. "Although Fairfield was in charge, it was our truck with extendable turret and high-reach capability that allowed us to get a handle on the fire." 

  Mr. Richert said the vehicle can push 1,950 gallons of water per minute with 420 gallons of foam.
  
  According to city fire officials, the fire was in the storage area outside Macro Plastics, a company that produces plastic storage bins for agricultural purposes.
Since plastic burns much like petroleum, oil and lubricants, base firefighters have "a lot of experience" fighting such fires. "We have a lot of experience because we exercise fighting these kinds of fires routinely," said Mr. Richert. He said the situation boiled down to dispersing "massive amounts of water on the fire." 
 
  The cooperation and coordination between local emergency responders and Travis was great, said Col. Robert Eatman, 60th Mission Support Group commander and EOC director. "The relationship between Travis and Solano County emergency responders is the best I've seen at any base to which I've been assigned. We truly are partners."  
  Colonel Eatman also praised Travis firefighters. "They are the heroes. While everyone else would naturally run away from a fire, they are running to engage and defeat the fire."
 
  Although winds dispersed the smoke away from the base, Travis issued an advisory warning telling base personnel not to participate in unnecessary outdoor activities and to stay away from the smoke. 
 
  "As soon as we learned that plastics were involved, we were on the phone with DuPont, for a number to their poison control center in Denver," said Lt. Col. Timothy Devine, base bioenvironmental engineer and a member of the EOC. He said DuPont is the world's leading manufacturer of plastics. 
 
  "Two of their toxicologists confirmed that the only health hazard from the fire and smoke was to anyone in close proximity of the fire. But breathing smoke from any fire is not advised," said Colonel Devine. "There was never a hazard to the base as the winds were carrying the smoke away from the base," he said. 
 
  Colonel Eatman elaborated on that point. "I think it's important for people here to know that if there is a potential hazard to them, we will get that word out quickly. We're not just going to keep quiet and do nothing if our residents' safety is at risk."

  As EOC director, the colonel said he was surprised by the number of postings about the fire on the base's Facebook page. 
 
  "It was an eye-opener for me," he said. "Now that we know that people really are communicating through Facebook, we will reevaluate how the EOC can use Facebook to get out information and slow the rumor mill," he said.