25 Firefighters Decontaminated After Fighting Two-Alarm New York Blaze

(Rosebank-WABC, June 14, 2004) -- Twenty-five firefighters were decontaminated after fighting a second-alarm fire in a plant in the Rosebank section of Staten Island.

The firefighters were exposed to clay dust while battling the blaze inside Sun Chemical Corporation at 441 Tompkins Avenue just before 9:30 a.m.

Nine of the 25 firefighters had to be were hospitalized with minor injuries. They were all expected to be treated and released.

The flash fire sparked inside a mixing hopper in the plant, spreading clay dust over the firefighters. Clay dust is a non-toxic irritant and is not believed to have seriously hurt the firefighter.