SNOHOMISH—Snohomish County Fire District 4 firefighters responded to a report of acid spilled inside a work van Thursday, September 24, off State Rout 9 and Marsh Road, south of Snohomish.
The spill was reported around 10:08 a.m. When firefighters arrived, they found a vehicle pulled to the side of the road, all doors open, and two occupants inside. One of these occupants was in need of serious medical treatment, the fire agency said, while the other refused care.
Traffic quickly backed up on south bound SR9 and Washington State Patrol assisted with traffic control.
HazMat (Hazardous Material) teams were requested to gather more information about the chemical and provide recommendations for spill mitigation.
HazMat determined the chemical was Muriatic acid (which is used as an industrial cleaning agent) and may have been mixed with another unknown chemical. HazMat determined this acid spilled while the vehicle was driving.
HazMat used a fan to assist with evaporation of the chemical and moved equipment from the van to help support clean-up efforts.
The van was determined to no longer be a hazard and was returned to the owner.
One of the occupants in the vehicle was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. The other occupant was uninjured.
The situation was under control by 11:46 a.m. and the road was reopened.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
