Millington-area fire injures 5
Plant blaze left 3 firefighters, 2 employees hurt; cause unknown
Smoke rises at Pollution Control Industries on Fite Road at Victory near Memphis Motorsports Park and the Charles W. Baker airport in Millington on Thursday. Three firefighters and two employees were injured during the blaze.
A fire in a Shelby County commercial building Thursday afternoon sent five people to the hospital, at least one of them in critical condition.
Smoke billowed from the area south of Millington as crews and trucks from local fire departments tried to control the blaze.
Employees at Pollution Control Industries, which recycles hazardous materials, called the Shelby County Fire Department about 4:30 p.m. to report that a fire had broken out onsite where flammable chemicals are stored, according to Shelby County spokesman Steve Shular.
At least one of the employees was injured badly enough to be airlifted to the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.
Three firefighters were also injured while attempting to control the fire. Two were taken to Methodist North for treatment of heat exhaustion, the other for a torn rotator cuff. The one with the shoulder injury was treated and released, and the other two were still being treated late Thursday night.
Shelby County Fire Department spokesman Brent Perkins said the fire was not putting out anything toxic.
“It was no threat to the area, residents or citizens,” Perkins said.
Six f ire engine companies from the county Fire Department, as well as the Memphis and Millington fire departments, responded to the call at 5485 Victory Lane, along with hazmat teams.
The f ire closed area roads and caused the cancellation of an event at nearby Memphis Motorsports Park.
Firefighters contained the blaze in about an hour.
“We don’t know how the fire started, we don’t know exactly where in that containment area it started,” Perkins said. “Our f ire investigator, our fire marshal and several battalion chiefs are on the scene looking into what might have kicked this off.”
Perkins said it’s the worst fire at a plant he’s seen in 10 years.
In 2010, 25 Shelby County firefighters and one Millington fire engine responded to a fire at the same facility. No injuries were reported in that incident. Staff reporter Samantha Bryson contributed to this story.