Chemical Fire

By Associated Press

Woodward, OK – 1 person burned in Okla. chemical fire

WOODWARD, Okla. (AP) Officials say one person was hurt when a flash fire erupted at a chemical plant near Woodward.

Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer says firefighters were called at 8:53 a.m. Tuesday about a fire at Deepwater Chemicals near the Woodward Airport.

Lehenbauer says an employee was loading 40 pounds of red phosphorous into a processor when the fire began and burned the employee. The worker was taken to a Woodward hospital, but Lehenbauer didn't release the worker's condition or name.

He says the rest of the building and two nearby businesses were evacuated as fire crews extinguished the blaze. Lehenbauer says employees weren't immediately allowed to return to work because of concern about inhalation hazards.

He says the fire was contained to the building.