Broken fitting on fire engine foam tank led to leak on Millcreek Township street
A broken fitting on a West Ridge Fire Department engine's 25-gallon foam tank caused a leak of the substance along a stretch of West Eighth Street in Millcreek Township Wednesday afternoon, authorities reported.
West Ridge Fire Chief Jerry DeRosa said one of his crews was on detail when the plastic fitting broke on the engine's tank, dumping all 25 gallons of the Class A foam along a one-quarter-mile stretch of West Eighth Street near Peninsula Drive.
The foam is non-hazardous, non-combustible and posed no environmental threats, DeRosa said.
"We had a failure of a fitting at the bottom of the foam tank," DeRosa said. "It broke due to what we think was vibration. Since it was raining that day and the roads were wet, the foam expands when it comes into contact with water."
DeRosa said he replaced the tank's broken plastic fitting with a new galvanized steel fitting.
"We use this foam for Class A combustibles like wood and paper products — ordinary combustibles," DeRosa said. "After a fire, we'll spray a blanket of the foam on the affected area, which dramatically reduces the chance of a rekindle."