WHITE HALL, Ark. - The Pine Bluff Arsenal suspended incineration of chemical weapons for the second time in 10 days because of a small fire in a similar operation in Oregon.

Bob Love, acting project manager for the contractor conducting the incineration work at the arsenal, decided to stop operations there Wednesday after learning of a fire on the rocket-destruction processing line in Umatilla, Ore., according to a news release from the arsenal on Thursday.

The same contractor, Washington Group International, is handling the work at both sites.

Umatilla and the Pine Bluff Arsenal each hold about 12 percent of the nation's chemical weapons and are both in the process of destroying rockets laced with sarin nerve agent.

The Arkansas operations paused May 11 and 12 after a small fire ignited at the Pine Bluff Arsenal. Incineration of the rockets and the liquid they contained resumed last Friday, but the Umatilla incident prompted another suspension in Arkansas.

Washington Group is investigating the Umatilla fire and is sending experts from Pine Bluff to participate. Pine Bluff Arsenal officials and the Washington Group are waiting to resume work until they are comfortable they understand what happened at Umatilla and can make the process in Arkansas, the news release said.

Army officials say destroying the 3,850 tons of chemical weapons is safer than storing them, which the Pine Bluff Arsenal has done for more than 60 years.

The Arkansas facility notified the public of its suspension within a day of stopping operations, after concerns were raised about officials taking nearly a week to announce the May 11 fire.