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Fire Reported Wednesday Morning At Ascend Performance Materials
May 5, 2021
A fire was reported at Ascend Performance Materials on old Chemstrand Road Wednesday morning.
Midday Wednesday, Ascend told NorthEscambia.com that a lightning strike is being investigated as the possible cause of the fire.
Escambia Fire Rescue was called to assist Ascend’s internal fire department about 8:10 a.m. The Escambia County fire units were first staged in a parking lot outside the plant’s main gate, but were then called inside the plant to assist with the blaze.
According to Escambia County, the fire was on the fourth floor of a structure, according to Escambia County spokesperson Laura Coale. It was reported to be essentially out at 8:37 a.m., but firefighters were still working on hot spots in the area.
Additional Escambia County fire units were dispatched to the area just before 9 a.m. to stage outside the plant. A total of 11 ECFR units responded, Coale said. At 10 a.m., firefighters were working to isolate and extinguish possible fire between layers of roofing material, according to reports.
“Earlier today a fire occurred at Ascend’s Pensacola site. To ensure safety, we evacuated our employees. Local fire authorities were dispatched and contained the fire. There were no injuries and the community was not at risk at any time,” Alison Jahn, vice president of global communications and external affairs, told NorthEscambia.com.
“From what we know right now, there was a severe thunderstorm that passed over the site that we believe resulted in lightening striking some of our equipment. We’re still assessing the root cause,” Jahn said.
Pictured: A fire was reported as Ascend Performance Materials on Old Chemstrand Road Wednesday morning. Escambia Fire Rescue was first staged in a parking lot outside the plant, but they were moved inside to help battle the fire. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Barbour, click to enlarge.
Comments
9 Responses to “Fire Reported Wednesday Morning At Ascend Performance Materials”
Safety of the employees is the last thing this company is worried about. The employees working the burnout are working 12 1/2 hour shifts, 7 days a week with some of the employees being given an option to have off once every 13 days. They are going to have way more problems than a fire before this is over. Let’s have people that are working, and barely sleeping working nonstop. That sounds very safe.
Pardon me Kathy but thats not exactly accurate.
My husband, son and my husband‘s cousin all three work at this facility, ascend performance material Is all about safety and the well-being of each and every employee!!!
I myself pray each and every day for their safety!
And everyone else that works at the Cantonment Florida plants
Cyclohexane is a lot worse than gasoline. Look at Flixborough, England at the explosion there. Look what it did to the community there. The Pensacola plant is capable of a lot more devastation due to the amount on site. PENSACOLA IS THE ONLY CYCLOHEXANE PLANT IN THE WORLD THAT HASNT EXPLODED!!Not to mention, Thermanol, nitric acid (which leaks in certain areas like crazy.)Ascend has let go much of their good help (maintenance side) and when people leave or retire their posistions are not being filled. They want use contractors to take the place of a man who has worked in the worked in the same area for 25 yrs.
My son works there….and let me know when it happened that he was okay….
Cyclohexane (similar to gasoline), butane, and anhydrous ammonia are probably the most concern to the surrounding community. Safety is almost.ridiculously engineered in to these processes. The potential is still there though.
It is just a matter of time. I worked there 35 years, every time an alarm sounded I was ready to evacuate. But at least we heard the alarm first and not the explosion!!!
TICK TOCK…. It’s a matter of time.
I’ve worked there a lot of years.. Really afraid of the catastrophic one happening. Glad all are safe..