At approximately 02:30 on May 26th, 2015, a fire explosion (YouTube video of the fire/explosion) occurred at an illegal pyrotechnics warehouse located in Hormigueros, Puerto Rico. Initial findings by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that fire and explosion was as a result of “…the improper installation that may have influenced the overload, arcing and causing the molten material to be expelled” .
The warehouse – steel and corrugated metal siding – is divided into three bays, each occupied by a different tenant. The middle bay was the location of illegal storage of pyrotechnics. As a result of the fire and explosion, the middle bay was completely destroyed – no roof or exterior walls exists. The two exterior bays also suffered heavy structural damage.
Pyrotechnics – as part of their active ingredients – contain heavy metals to provide colors and luster; lithium and strontium salts are used to make bright red; Calcium salts for orange; sodium salts for yellow; barium salts (potential Toxicity Characteristic metal) for green; copper salts for blue; and, mixture of strontium and copper salts for purple. Additionally – older pyrotechnics – may contain lead salts (potential Toxicity Characteristic metal) as a primer.
There are large piles of ash within the middle bay. There is a potential that these ash piles may have high concentration of heavy metals. Due to the fact that there is no roof and walls in the middle bay, the ash is subject to dispersal from tropical rain falls and winds. EPA will be sampling the ash to determine if the heavy metals are present at sufficient concentrations as to pose a threat to the environment or the public.
There is a large residential development within 100 yards of the warehouse structure. There is an unnamed stream directly across the street to which storm-drain runoff discharges into. Within 100 yards, the unnamed stream drains into another unnamed stream – a school of large fish was noted at the confluence. The second unnamed stream drains into the Rio Guanajibo, which then flows through Mayaguez and empties into the Caribbean Sea. Copper salts can be particularly toxic to all aquatic life in very low concentrations.
