Fairfield Fire Dept. Responds to HazMat Incident Caused by Vintage Refrigerator, June 15

FAIRFIELD, CT - At 5:07pm, Friday, June 13, the Fairfield Emergency Communications Center received a call from a resident at 200 Edgewood Road reporting her refrigerator was leaking in the basement. Ladder 2 and Engine 3 responded to assist the resident. Upon arrival, the resident stated that when she opened the freezer her eyes were irritated and began to water.

Ladder 2 made entry to the basement with full protective equipment and a compliment of meters to assess the situation. Upon entering the basement, Ladder 2’s meters immediately went into alarm signifying the release of the vintage model refrigerator’s coolant. Ladder 2 closed the refrigerator and secured the scene until addition units arrived. Engine 3 arrived on scene and established command. Car 3 and Engine 2 were requested for additional resources and personnel. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) was contacted and responded to the scene. Additional assets were called from the Fairfield County Hazmat team. 

It was determined that due to the age of the refrigerator, and the coolant that may be present, that a “Level A” HazMat Entry would be conducted as a precaution. HazMat teams made two entries into the dwelling to stop the coolant leak. After containing the source of the leak, Fire units used positive pressure ventilation to vent the structure and continued to meter the residence to ensure it was safe for the residents to re-enter. American Medical Response was called to the scene to evaluate the resident and for a medical stand during entry operations. There were no reported injuries. Last fire unit left the scene at approximately 10:12PM.