Star Staff Writer
A small fire burned for about 15 minutes in a processing room at the Anniston chemical weapons incinerator Thursday afternoon, according to incinerator spokesman Mike Abrams.
No one was hurt and no chemical agent was released in what Abrams described as a “rare” incident that started a few minutes before 3 p.m.
Although an investigation has yet to be completed, the fire appears to have started when a M55 rocket flared up after being struck by a shearing blade, Abrams said.
“This type of low-grade explosive can flare. It’s not unexpected,” Abrams said.
The processing room was at a standstill Thursday night. GB nerve agent, or sarin, will be processed at the facility this morning, Abrams said, but destruction of rockets in the affected room will not resume until necessary repairs are made. Abrams said it probably will be a day or two before the room is up and running again.
During normal operation, sarin is drained from a rocket, which is then cut into pieces and incinerated. The drained sarin is contained in a holding tank for separate incineration.
Initial examination of the room via closed-circuit cameras indicated minor damage, Abrams said. The fire was not hot enough to trigger the facility’s main fire-suppression system, but did set off a sprinkler device and an alarm, Abrams said. The sprinkler, in combination with the closing of dampers extinguished the fire.
The Anniston Army Depot Fire Department responded, but did not enter the building because the fire was by then out, Abrams said.
The incinerator has burned 12,645 rockets and 13,526 gallons (122,951 pounds) of liquid sarin since beginning operation in Aug. 9.