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Charlotte firefighters battle chemical fire at truck cleaning facility

Charlotte firefighters battled a chemical fire at the Express Container Service truck-cleaning facility on Tar Heel Road on Tuesday. A nearby chemical plant was untouched by the fire.
Charlotte Fire
Charlotte firefighters battled a chemical fire at the Express Container Service truck-cleaning facility on Tar Heel Road on Tuesday. A nearby chemical plant was untouched by the fire.

Charlotte firefighters battled a two-alarm fire Tuesday morning at a truck cleaning facility in northwest Charlotte.

Firefighters said they encountered heavy flames shooting through the roof of the warehouse on Tar Heel Road when they arrived around 7:30 a.m.

According to a news release, a tanker trailer had caught fire inside the warehouse.

An employee who answered the phone Tuesday confirmed the fire took place at the Express Container Service truck-cleaning facility at 1730 Tar Heel Road. The employee declined to give additional information.

Reached by phone, an employee for JCI Jones Chemicals, Inc., which maintains a chemical plant on the same road, told WFAE their warehouse was untouched by the fire.

Fire investigators say the fire was accidental, and was likely caused by the improper thawing of a known chemical, which resulted in a "violent polymerization." Damage was estimated at $425,000.

There were no reported injuries, and fire officials conducted air and water quality monitoring out of an abundance of caution. Fire officials said all monitoring results were negative, and there's no danger to the public from smoke or runoff.

"Our firefighters' quick response and coordination ensured the fire was contained rapidly, and extensive monitoring confirmed there were no public health risks," Fire Chief Reginald Johnson said in a statement. "We are proud of the diligence and professionalism our team demonstrated in protecting the community."