May 31--OLD SAYBROOK -- An equipment fire at a factory sent four employees to the hospital and may have released toxic gas, according to officials.
The fire occurred at Sound Manufacturing, which is a precision metal cutting operation that uses a laser in its processes, said Dennis Schain, spokesman for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. That equipment caught fire Thursday evening.
When exposed to high heat, the laser lens can release toxic and flammable vapors, said Schain.
Seven firefighters and four factory employees had to go through a decontamination process, fire officials said.
The four workers were taken to Middlesex Medical Center in Essex for evaluation, said Schain. Employees who were exposed to the smoke showed symptoms of respiratory irritation, he said.
Officials from DEEP were on scene along with local fire officials. A hazardous materials team was also called in from the naval submarine base in New London, fire officials said.
The fire was knocked down as of about 6 p.m., but officials were still on scene after 9 p.m.
Firefighters, and the DEEP and HazMat teams were going to be making a joint entry into the building to determine if there was any contamination, Schain said.
The condition of the employees taken to the hospital was unknown late Thursday.
Sound Manufacturing is at 51 Donnelley Rd.
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