BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) -- More than two dozen homes were evacuated as firefighters worked to control a blaze in a downtown commercial building containing aerosols, cleaning agents and other chemical products.
The fire broke out about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday at Centre Chemical Co. and was contained by midnight, though still smoldering.
The building apparently was unoccupied when the fire started. Chemicals in the sheet-metal structure included sulfuric, hydrochloric and muriatic acids, swimming pool cleaning chemicals and other cleaning agents, said Tim Boyde, Centre County administrator.
Six fire departments, three emergency-medical service units and the Penn State Hazardous Materials Response Team responded to the blaze.
Boyde said no long term threats were expected, but city public works, state Department of Environmental Protection and state Fish and Boat Commission officials were monitoring runoff into nearby Logan Branch, where a fish kill was possible due to firefighting chemicals.
