Dozens of Firefighters Battle Blaze in Underground Pipes at Brightwater Treatment Plant
A fire sparked by workers fusing plastic piping at the Woodinville wastewater plant sent smoke billowing from pipes running 60 feet underground, but plant operations were not affected.
By Jennifer Paige ·
Dozens of firefighters responded Tuesday to a major fire in underground pipes at the Brightwater Treatment Plant in Woodinville, a facility central to wastewater service in the region.
The blaze began around noon, when workers were fusing plastic piping and sparked flames that traveled down pipes extending 60 feet underground, according to Peter Mongillo, a spokesperson for Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue. Two employees were being evaluated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
The affected section of the plant, an aeration basin, is currently under construction, so treatment operations were not disrupted, said Marie Fiore, a spokesperson for King County's Wastewater Treatment Division.
By about 12:30 p.m., heavy smoke was pouring from the pipes, which are partly exposed to open air. Mongillo said at that point that the fire was not under control and was intensifying. "We're going to be here for quite a while," he said.
Crews held back in 90-degree heat while waiting for a technical team trained to handle fires in confined spaces. A 13-member team arrived by 1:30 p.m., and the smoke from the pipes appeared to disappear around the same time. Hazmat crews from around the region had also been dispatched.
Firefighters from Snohomish Regional, South County, Monroe, Bothell, Everett and Woodinville departments took part in the response. The fire was reported out at 3:14 p.m.
Officials said it was unclear Tuesday how extensive the damage was or what it would cost.
Brightwater opened in 2011 and, according to the King County website, is an integral part of the county's regional wastewater treatment system. The 114-acre plant was built at a cost of $1.8 billion and collects wastewater from northeast King County and southeast Snohomish County.
Treated water from the plant either flows into Puget Sound or is used for industrial purposes or irrigation. The plant can handle an average of 36 million gallons of wastewater per day. King County describes its membrane filtration system as state-of-the-art, and the system includes 13 miles of pipeline built in underground tunnels.
Source: The Everett Herald
