Abbotsford fire crews were called out to a potential hazardous material situation at a business at Peardonville and Townline roads Wednesday night.
Crews were called to the scene at around 9 p.m. Wednesday to reports of acidic smoke in the building, according to Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service Assistant Chief Jeff Snider.
“They got there, they evacuated the building and we cordoned off an area so we could await for hazmat techs to come in and ascertain what was going on,” Snider said.
“A bucket full of chemicals that they were looking to dispose of within the company, so they attempt to neutralize the components and then dispose of them properly. There was some sort of reaction that happened with them tonight.”
Snider said the company attempted to mix chemicals to make them inert, but “it looks like a small exothermic (releasing heat) reaction” occurred, creating a cloud of smoke in the building.
“They’ve definitely got to have a lot of safe procedures and policies in place, and by the look of the lab in here, they do. Everything was clean and organized,” Snider said, adding shortly after the incident that crews were expected to be on scene for just another half-hour longer.
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