Ohio Responder Burned in Blast Remains Hospitalized

MONROE, Ohio -- One of the three Monroe firefighters injured during an explosion while responding to a fire at a manufacturing plant remains hospitalized with second-degree burns.

Fire Chief John Centers said the firefighter suffered burns to his face, head, neck and hands and was admitted to the burn unit at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. His name has not been released pending notification of an ill family member, he said.

"His condition is good and his burns are being evaluated," Centers said.

Fire crews were dispatched at 1:51 p.m. Wednesday to Deceuninck North America, 351 New Garver Road. The Belgian company produces windows and door systems as well as decking and railings, and Centers said a fire began inside a 5,000-gallon tank containing dried wood composite material.

"A dust explosion occurred inside the vessel when the firefighters were working on it," Centers said.

Two other firefighters -- Shannon Murphy and Brian Lockaby -- were treated and released at Atrium Medical Center for hearing loss and headaches.

"They are doing OK and resting at home presently," Centers said. "They will have hearing evaluations before coming back (to work)."

Centers estimated damages to $2,000 for material lost.

"We're very lucky; the incident could have gone much worse," Centers said. "We're counting our blessings."

David Jacobson, Deceuninck's director of marketing in Monroe, declined to comment until reports about what happened are prepared.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Association is investigating the accident. There are no reported incidents at the Monroe plant on the OSHA website, but its facility in Little Rock, Ark., had six violations in January 2007, three of which were serious.

Copyright 2012 - Middletown Journal, Ohio

McClatchy-Tribune News Service