On the evening of April 30, 2010 the Oakwood Product, Inc laboratories main lab building (Site) was involved in a structure fire. The preliminary investigation regarding the cause is that an electrical box near the loading dock on the south end of the building may be the source of the fire.  The structure is steel framed and paneled building (a former fish processing and refrigeration/freezer).  The fire’s path primarily involved the upper rim of the structure that was heavily insulated and framed with wood which made fighting the fire a challenge to the local fire department.  South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Conservation (SCDHEC) requested assistance by EPA to support the response efforts. REOC Phone Duty advised responding OSC /contractors and equipment to mobe to Site the following morning because the structure was still involved (at night) in the fire (smoldering/ hot-spots).  EPA OSC and contractor support by the Superfund Technical Assessment and Response Team (START/ OTIE ) and Emergency Rapid Response Service (ERRS/  WRS Compass) deployed to the Site on May 1, 2010 and established perimeter air monitoring and assessed the incident to develop a plan of action to mitigate the damaged building that had burned and partially collapsed on equipment and chemical containers inside. Chemicals included vesicants, flammables and air/water reactive compounds. Chemical storage and outside pilot plants/batching vessels were not impacted by the fire.

WRS Compass subcontracted A&D Environmental who is also the primary emergency/hazmat response contractor under Oakwood Product's Response Plan.  The OSC's determined that the approach to the response by EPA and it's support contractors was to assess the incident and mitigate "high-hazardous" (HH) concerns inside the building and transfer the response to the RP once the HH operations were stepped-down from an emergency response to clean-up/recovery.  This determination was agreed-upon by all parties including EPA, SCDHEC, Hampton Co FD and Oakwood Products management.  The agreed criteria to step-down the emergency response (mid-day on May 4, 2010) to clean-up was:

1. Fire completely extinguished.
2. Leaking NH4 Cylinder capped/emptied.
3. Remaining cylinders removed from building and stagged.
4. Core of building/lab-stations cleared, HH chemicals (Mustard, Grignard reagents, ethers, etc..) are accounted for, safely removed from building and staged. 

• EPA, ERRS & START arrived on-site by 1:30 pm EDST on May 1, 2010 and met with Hampton County Volunteer Fire Department  (FD) Chief and the vice president and other facility personnel to discuss the incident and develop a strategy to approach the fire impacted chemicals and products within the damaged structure.  At the time of the OSC’s arrival, the building was still involved in fire and and being attacked by water trucks by Estil FD and a cylinder of ammonia (NH4) was reported to be venting on the southeast corner of the building.  Entry into the building was prohibited and close approach to the structure was Level B.  START conducted air monitoring within ½-mile down-wind of the structure and assessed if residential or densely populated areas may be vulnerable to releases from the building and measure particulates and VOCs and NH4.  Nothing was detected above background during these initial assessments.
• May 2, 2010: was plagued with repeated assaults on the smoldering fire by the Estil County FD to put out hot-spots. These hot-spots were a result of the construction materials and their location in the building.  Dense insulation at the upper third of the building framed by wood and wooden construction of the storage lofts on the second-floor.  START and FD were able to conduct monitoring from above the structure from an extended ladder from the FD’s ladder truck.  The steel skin of the exterior wall burned through and the NH4 cylinder made the approach to the building hazardous on the back-side of the building.
• May 3, 2010: the fire was under control and ERRS was able to enter the building and begin clearing fallen debris and structures from the work benches and hoods.  An accurate inventory was established by START from laboratory management, technicians and Oakwood’s response plan.  FD only had to respond twice to hot-spots/ smoke.  The NH4 cylinder was capped and remaining high-pressure cylinders removed out of the building and safely staged.
• May 4, 2010: continued removal of HH materials and focused on four of the central hoods that were under collapsed structure.  The remaining chemicals of concern were removed (vesicants, ethers & mustard) were safely removed and staged under canopied areas away of the building.  Fire completely and the emergency response was stepped-down to clean-up at 1300-hours.  WRS Compass would remain on-site through May 5^th but A&D Environmental transfered billing from WRS Compass to Oakwood Products at the start of business on May 5, 2010. 
• May 5 thru May 25, 2010:  A&D Environmental completed the clean-up under RP funding.