Oct. 30--Portland fire crews were able to extinguish a stubborn fire in a hopper at Eastside Plating, 1200 Southeast Second Street Wednesday morning.
The company, according to its website does metal plating for "the high-tech, medical, dental, aerospace, and automotive industries."
Lt. Rich Chatman, a spokesman for the Portland Fire Bureau, said crews confined the fire to the hopper containing aluminum shavings.
Crews collected all available dry and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers to put the fire out rather than risk using water, which could make the situation worse, Chatman said.
Firefighters involved in fighting the fire had to be decontaminated because of their close contact with heated aluminum shavings and toxic gases.
Crews from the City of Portland's Bureau of Environmental Services were also called to monitor any runoff created by firefighters.
-- Stuart Tomlinson
Copyright 2013 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
