Disaster was averted early Saturday morning after a firefighters put out a blaze that had started near a 3,000-pound ammonia tank at Valley Pride Pack in Norwalk.
The Norwalk Fire Department, the Norwalk First Responders, the Wilton Fire Department and the Wilton Ambulance Service all received a page at 5:52 a.m. to a landing-room fire that had been ignited in the compressor room, according to Norwalk Fire Chief Jim Stoikes.
After the fire had spread, it flashed over and blew out the steel fire door to the ammonia building, blasting out its walls, Stoikes said. But the ammonia leak was small, and the maintenance personnel were able to shut it off.
As the building was concrete block, the fire was contained, Stoikes said. For the most part, oil had fueled the flames.
Stoikes said he had called for mutual aid from the Sparta Fire Department for its tanker and its platform ladder truck. Also, the Ontario Fire Department was called for a tanker.
After arriving on scene, he also called Alliant Energy and Monroe County Hazmat due to the proximity of ammonia.
No one was injured in the fire. Thirty-two firefighters responded to the scene, staying for about two hours and using about 4,000 gallons of water. There is no estimate on damage at this point, Stoikes said.
