Chemical fire at Western Washington University
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The cause of a chemical fire that broke out in a chemistry lab at Western Washington University still hasn’t been determined.
The Bellingham Herald reports six students and one professor were in the lab when the fire erupted Tuesday evening. No injuries have been reported.
Assistant chief with Bellingham Fire Department, Rob Kintzele, says a dozen firefighters were evaluated at a hospital after entering the building and breathing in a foul-tasting invisible gas. Some firefighters had complained of sore throats and headaches.
Crews haven’t been able to return to the building, so it still isn’t clear what caught fire in the third-floor lab.
The university has hired an emergency recovery and restoration company to inspect and repair the building.
The building remained closed Wednesday.
