Hand sanitizer bottles litter water, banks of Trinity River as result of warehouse fire
Bottles of hand sanitizer have been found in the water and littering the banks of the Trinity River in Tarrant County after efforts to put out a fire at a warehouse full of the stuff washed them into storm drains, authorities said.
The Fort Worth Fire Department said the fire was still burning as of Friday, though in more of a controlled blaze, with the alcohol in the hand sanitizer adding fuel.
The fire has continued burning through the remains of a commercial warehouse in the 2300 block of Cullen Street for more than a week after it started late on the night of Oct. 6, fire officials said.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that the water used to fight the fire carried bottles of hand sanitizer away through a storm drain that feeds into the river despite efforts by local authorities to block the bottles from the drain.
The TCEQ said the building owner has hired an environmental company to clean up the debris, including the collapsed warehouse structure, and is in the process of creating a remediation plan.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth Fire Department crews continue to work around the clock at the fire scene, the department said in a Facebook post Friday.
“Contractors have begun using heavy equipment to move everything out of the structure and into smaller piles,” the post said. “Firefighters are on scene providing water to the fires that are still burning.”
“We have worked closely, and continue to work closely, with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the City of Fort Worth Code Compliance Department (Solid Waste and Environmental) and the TRWD — Tarrant Regional Water District,” the fire department said. “The public is assured by environmental professionals that there is no threat to the air quality as the alcohol in the hand sanitizer burns clean. Additionally, contractors are working to clean up the debris in the Trinity River while specialists monitor the environmental impact to the water.”
As of Thursday, cleanup crews along the river had filled a couple of dozen trash bags with hand sanitizer bottles, but there were still some bottles floating down the Trinity, WFAA reported.
One firefighter was sent to a hospital last week for evaluation as a result of the fire, according to information posted on the Fort Worth Fire Department Facebook page and Twitter account.
Firefighters arrived on the scene after receiving multiple calls around 10:30 p.m. about a fire that started outside and spread into the commercial warehouse, officials said. When crews arrived they could see flames on the inside and outside of the structure.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but authorities said the alcohol in the hand sanitizer may have played a role.
This story was originally published October 13, 2022 at 6:04 PM.