MORGANTOWN – Multiple sources have confirmed a Sunday evening fire at the SI Group facility in the Morgantown Industrial Park was contained to the chemical plant’s boiler room.
According to the company’s website, SI Group is a developer and manufacturer of performance additives, process solutions, and chemical intermediates used in nearly two dozen industries.
The company lists its Morgantown facility as an industrial solutions manufacturing site and technology center.
“Yesterday evening, our Morgantown, West Virginia, site experienced a fire in the facility’s boiler room. Our team immediately contacted the local fire department, which secured the area and safely extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries,” SI Group Director of Brand and Communications Challen DeMartino said. “An investigation to understand the root cause of the fire is underway. As always, the safety and well-being of our employees and the Morgantown community is our top priority.”
DeMartino did not respond to questions about the extent of the damage or to what degree, if any, the chemicals and components utilized and produced by the facility were exposed to the fire.
Asked Monday if there were concerns about potential airborne toxins or contaminants reaching the Monongahela River as a result of the fire, both Monongalia County Emergency Management Director Jimmy Smith and Morgantown Utility Board Communications Director Chris Dale said there were not.
The SI Group plant is located at 1000 Industrial Park Road, directly across the river from MUB’s water treatment facility.
“MECCA 911 notified our water treatment plant of the fire. We were informed the fire was limited to a boiler house and that barriers had been erected to prevent any runoff from entering the river. As a precaution, we temporarily closed the river intake and relied exclusively on the Flegal Dam and Reservoir. We also inspected the industrial park lift stations to determine if oil or other substances entered the sanitary system. Those inspections found nothing,” Dale said, explaining MUB also monitored the Morgantown Industrial Park water tank to ensure there was adequate water and pressure to fight the fire.
“Our system performed without issue,” he said. “MUB regularly works with our emergency response partners, as supporting fire protection is a critical part of our mission to safeguard public health.”
According to scanner traffic, a call reporting a working fire with heavy black smoke went out just after 6:30 p.m. The fire was reported as “under control” just before 8 p.m.
Volunteer crews from the Westover, Granville, Star City, River Road and Brookhaven departments responded. The SI Group Response Team was also on-site.
