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Back to Table of Contents - Whatcom Creek Incident Archives
FIRE INCIDENT FACTS SHEET #1 DATE: 6/11/99 TIME: 5:30 a.m. For more information contact: Whatcom County Division of Emergency Management, Phone: (360) 676-6681 Date of incident: 6/10/99 Time of incident: 4:25 p.m. Incident background: Breech of 16-inch-diameter gasoline pipeline adjacent to the City of Bellingham Water Treatment Facility in Whatcom Falls Park. Significant amount of gasoline released downstream and ignited by unknown source. Fires burning in isolated areas, but under control. The cause of the product release and ignition are under investigation. Casualties: Two fatalities, one person seriously injured being treated at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. There have been no injuries to emergency responders. The incident is stabilized; however, there are still small fires, burned trees and pockets of gasoline that present a potential hazard. Emergency responders will continue thorough assessment and monitoring today. Until further notice, the public is advised to avoid the area from Whatcom Falls Park to fish hatchery at Bellingham Bay. At the height of the incident, approximately 150 emergency responders were on scene. The unified response involves federal, state, local officials and representatives of the Olympic Pipe Line Company. Search and rescue efforts will continue today in the Hannah Creek area. Key objectives of the response are safety of the responders and public, and determining the extent and size of the contaminated area. Domestic water service in the north and northeast areas of the city has been impacted. Residents on the Bellingham city water system are advised to conserve water usage until further notice. Electrical service to approximately 4,000 residents was impacted. One single-family residence was destroyed by the fire. An insurance claims telephone line is being established. Fire Incident Facts Sheet #1 Page 2 Responders include: Whatcom County Sheriff's Department, Whatcom County Search and Rescue, Bellingham Mountain Rescue, City of Bellingham Public Works Department, City of Bellingham, Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Patrol, U.S. EPA Region 10, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Whatcom County Specialized Emergency Response Program (SERP) Team, Tosco and Arco refineries, Whatcom County Fire Protection Districts 1-8, Bellingham Fire and Police departments, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Whatcom County Critical Incident Stress Management Team, Olympic Pipe Line Company, Equiva Services LLC, Washington DOT, Whatcom Transit Authority, Clean Sound Cooperative, Whatcom Department of Emergency Management, WhatComm Dispatch Center, and Transmountain Oil Pipeline Company. The next news briefing will be at 11 a.m. today in the Bellingham City Council chambers, 210 Lottie Street. (END) Back to Table of Contents - Whatcom Creek Incident Archives |
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