Skip to main content

UPDATE: Two Minor Injuries in East Rutherford Chemical Reaction Fire

East Rutherford

East Rutherford fire officials are continuing to investigate a chemical spill that happened at a chemical plant this afternoon.

According to officials, at around 1:30 p.m., firefighters were called to the Diamond Chemical Plant located at 20 East Union Avenue for reports of some type of chemical reaction.

Firefighters and Hazmat Crews arrived and found 4-5 fiberboards drums burning due to a chemical reaction that ignited from the machines that used chlorine.

Officials say the plume of chemical smoke that resulted from the reaction was contained to inside the building, but because employees who operated the machines ran from the building, some of the machines that were left on ignited into flames causing a secondary incident.

Officials said while firefighters operated at the scene, they immediately advised residents inside homes and businesses to shelter-In-place and select small interior rooms with no or few windows and take refuge there.

At around 4:30 p.m, officials said a test of the air quality came back with a zero reading for contamination.

"The smoke seen outside of the building was due to the burning machines which were secondary to the chemical spill," East Rutherford Fire chief said at the press conference.

The two victims were taken to an area hospital suffering minor injuries, but officials would not specify much further on their conditions according to the fire chief.

It is not immediately clear what product the business produces.

1,000