Crews Battle Plant Fire In Petrolia
BUTLER COUNTY (KDKA) – Crews battled a fire at a petroleum plant overnight.
The Sonneborn Corporation-owned plant, based in Petrolia, sells petrolatum – a product used to make baby oil and Vaseline.
The two-alarm fire broke out around 3 a.m.
When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting out the top of a tank that stores chemicals.
Company officials say they manufacture patrolatum, white oils and microcrystalline waxes.
Firefighters and internal firefighters responded very quickly and got it under control. The chemicals are not hazardous, but highly flammable.
Company officials are waiting to get inside and see how bad the damage is.
One tank of the petrolatum was on fire.
"It was one of our tanks," said Sonneborn Corp. Dir. of Human Resources, Anita Orozco, "we're not sure which one at this point. We haven't been into the tank farm yet, but it was burning from the top, so, one of the waxes possibly."
Officials say they train extensively for situations like these.
"The alarm went off in the plant, the alarm went off at the local fire company and that initiated the response from everybody in the community and the surrounding fire companies," Orozco said.
Company officials will now assess damage and work with firefighters to determine a cause.
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