Witnesses reported hearing alarms shortly before three explosions — two large ones followed by....Continue Reading
Fire Rescue News- FAA Tech Center fire forces evacuation of 1,600 employees in Egg Harbor Township
Posted: Friday, June 22, 2012 5:15 pm | Updated: 7:41 pm, Fri Jun 22, 2012.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — A series of explosions and fire led to the evacuation of 1,600 employees at the William J. Hughes Technical Center Friday as responders from multiple companies rushed to combat the blaze.
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a smaller blast — rocked the complex. They said they seemed to be centered in Building 300. The Technical Center serves as the national scientific test base for the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The smoke wasn’t dark at first—real heavy but light-colored,” said Ken Golleycq, an air traffic systems technician at the center. “After that first good blast, we saw dark smoke and flames coming out of the building.”
FAA spokeswoman Holly Bakercq said the employees of Buildings 300 and 316 were evacuated. Building 300, the main administration building, sustained extensive water and smoke damage. Contractors were working on the roof at the time of the fire, she said.
A number of witnesses said the explosions may have come from propane tanks on the site, but the cause of the fire wasn’t clear Friday. Atlantic County Fire Marshal Whitey Swartz said the fire began on the roof and spread inside the building.
The bulk of the roof blaze, which broke out at about 12:30 p.m., was extinguished by about 2:30 p.m. However, firefighters continued to check for hot spots and burning embers that can spread inside the building, he said.
“It burned in the building,” Swartz said of the fire.
Weather also complicated the firefighting process as a weather bulletin was issued at about 2 p.m., warning of lighting strikes within six miles of the center, Swartz said. Firefighters were forced to withdraw from the roof and ladders when there is a chance of lightning, he said.
AtlantiCare spokesman Frank Tedescocq said the Mainland Campus had received three firefighters fighting the blaze at the Technical Center. As of 4:45 p.m., one had been discharged and two others were being evaluated. Kevin Rehmann, a spokesman for the South Jersey Transportation Authority, added that all three were transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion. The SJTA’s fire department were in command of the scene.
A spokesman for Shore Medical Center said they had not received any patients as of 5 p.m.
Jim Peters, a spokesman for the FAA, said no injuries had been reported as of 1:30 p.m. The FAA was still attempting to get more information on how many staff members were in the building at that time.
Police blocked access to both the Technical Center and the Atlantic City International Airport at Terminal Road as light-colored smoke billowed into the sky above the campus. Airport access was reopened at about 2 p.m., as the fire was brought under control.
Kris Preisnercq, a computer engineer at FAA, was waiting at the roadblock, talking to co-workers. He said his team made it out.
“We train for this every few months,” he said. “I think we were prepared and the evacuation went smoothly.”
Preisner lives nearby in Egg Harbor Township and returned to the scene after lunch to discover the road blocked off.
“It was crazy to come back and see all of this smoke,” he said.
Employees who had evacuated the Technical Center gathered at the nearby Wawa and at Christi’s Bar and Restaurant on the Airport Circle. They talked about their experiences that day and discussed whether they would be able to return next week.
Dawn Evanscq, a computer specialist who lives in the Bargaintown section of Egg Harbor Township, said the center holds regular fire drills. It wasn’t immediately apparent whether the alarms were a drill or not, she said.
“We knew it wasn’t a fake fire drill when we saw smoke coming off the building,” she said. “But it was very orderly despite the chaos.”
Tricia Dilloncq, an Egg Harbor Township resident who works in Building 316, said construction had been ongoing for a while in Building 300. During the evacuation, she noticed cars covered in ash in the parking lot.
“At first we thought it might have been a terrorist attack and we all ran,” she said.
Golley, a resident of the English Creek section of Egg Harbor Township, said evacuees lingered near the campus until after the explosions made it apparent they would not be returning to work.
“At the time of the second blast, we all started to go home,” he said. “With the fire like that, you’re not going back in the building.”
U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd, said he was watching developments closely. The Technical Center represents a large part of the local economy, he said, with the impact of the technology being developed there being felt across the country.
“(It’s) the premier facility in the nation for safety and security research and development,” he said, adding, “I’m very anxious about the extent of the damage and waiting for a detailed report.”
Rehmann said the Atlantic City International Airport remained open to flights for the duration of the fire.
Rehmann, who called the road’s closure precautionary, said inbound flights were still able to land, but that outbound flights scheduled for later in the day could be delayed if the fire is still ongoing and the road needs to remain closed for emergency access. As of 4 p.m., there were only minor delays.
Rehmann said the incident will be investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.
EMS and firefighters from across Atlantic County, including teams from both AtlantiCare and Shore Medical Center, contributed to the response.
Staff Writers Joel Landau and Rob Spahr contributed to this report.
Contact Wallace McKelvey: 609-272-7256 WMcKelvey@pressofac.com
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