Fire officials say a good Samaritan spotted a white cloud from a nitrogen tank leak, prompting a hazardous materials response to be dispatched to a manufacturing plant in Lake Zurich.
The Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department responded around 12:15 p.m. Saturday to FETCO, 600 Rose Road in Lake Zurich, for a smoke investigation.
Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department Chief David Pilgard said a good Samaritan noticed a white cloud in the area and called 911.
Fire crews arrived and did not find a fire. They treated it as a hazardous materials incident.
The area was isolated and crews did not find anyone in harm’s way, Pilgard said. The plant, which manufactures machinery for producing drinks, was also closed at the time.
The response was upgraded to bring additional fire departments to the scene with hazardous materials technicians and equipment.
Firefighters identified that a nitrogen tank was leaking outside the facility, Pilgard said.
Nitrogen can be an asphyxiant, meaning it displaces the oxygen in the air. It is used as a cryogenic agent because it is cold and FETCO uses it to assist in its manufacturing process.
Firefighters assembled a plan to shut off the tank through the use of a valve, Pilgard said.
Hazardous materials technicians wearing protective equipment stopped the leak successfully within approximately 20 minutes.
Fire crews also went inside the manufacturing plant and performed atmospheric monitoring to ensure the air was safe for people.
Pilgard said no injuries were reported. The fire department notified FETCO of the incident so they could follow up with repairs and assist them with resuming their manufacturing process.
“If you see something, say something,” Pilgard said, lauding the actions of the good Samaritan who called 911 to report the incident.