State and federal agencies have started monitoring air quality in The Dalles after a tank containing diesel sludge caught fire and exploded at a railroad ties treatment plant Thursday night.
Workers at the AmeriTies West plant had taken the tank out of service early Thursday for cleaning, but it still contained some diesel sludge and sawdust, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
The chemicals caught fire around 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Vapors inside the tank heated and expanded, causing an explosion inside the tank about 30 minutes later.
Two firefighters were injured while responding. They were treated for injuries and released that night, according to the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Smoke emanates from a railroad ties treatment plant in The Dalles on Friday after a fire and explosion from the night before.
Courtesy of the Wasco County Sheriff's Office
Oregon DEQ and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency installed air quality monitors in the area Friday afternoon. They are monitoring for particulate matter and volatile organic compound, or VOCs.
“Thus far, particulate matter and volatile organic compounds are at normal ‘background’ levels,” the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office reported on social media.
Health officials say anyone nearby struggling to breathe or experiencing signs of a cardiac event should seek emergency medical assistance. Signs of a cardiac event include heart palpitations, lightheadedness, shortness of breath and chest pain.