A fire broke out at about 3:15 p.m. in the hopper and feed chute of a non-hazardous waste incineration line. An alarm went off. A technician activated the automatic fire suppression system. The employees were unable to alert firefighters due to a national grid outage. Local residents sounded the alarm after seeing smoke. First responders evacuated the plant’s employees and extinguished the fire at around 5:15 p.m.
The hopper was damaged. The heat melted electrical boxes and cables. The incineration line was shut down for 15 days. A specialist company pumped up the firewater.
The waste feed chute of a furnace became jammed. Combustion rose up the chute. The resulting increase in temperature damaged the seal between the chute and the hopper. The equipment was designed to resist temperatures corresponding to the combustion of household or industrial waste. One explanation for the damage is that an undesirable item of waste with a high LHV may have been added to the pit. The damaged seal allowed flames to pass through and burn the hydraulic circuit. The hydraulic oil was then sprayed onto the flames and ignited.
To prevent the same type of accident recurring, the operator:
- refurbished and protected the hydraulic circuit;
- looked into fitting a temperature detection system on the hopper;
- increased the reliability of the fire detection system.
The operator also stepped up the inspection rounds and once again reminded his technicians’ about how to properly prepare waste, load hoppers and detect jams.
