Pinellas Park hazmat situation under control after fire broke out, police say

New details released after Friday night hazmat situation

FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis has the latest after a hazmat situation forced several people in the area to shelter in place on Friday night.

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - The hazmat situation in Pinellas Park has been contained, and the fire department says that the shelter notice has been lifted in the area of 62nd Avenue and 53rd Street.

The backstory:

Pinellas Park police and firefighters responded to the hazmat situation on Friday night after a large fire reportedly broke out.

They located a refrigerated storage container holding industrial peroxide and acetone-based materials. These materials are used in manufacturing and are stored on the company’s property in a controlled unit.

The container began heating, and it produced a visible plume and odor. Since the container was refrigerated, fire crews were able to bring its temperature down quickly.

What they're saying:

Dr. Steven Golberg, Chief Medical Officer of HealthTrackRX, explained how these containers are used.

"They're really commonly used, and they're used for santiation, for bleaching, for manufacturing, for making resin," Golberg said, "When you keep them cool, you keep them calm. But what happened was it seemed there was a bit of a fire. The temperature around them got elevated. That caused them to vaporize and get into the air."

The vapor plume and odor in the area dispersed naturally after crews controlled the situation.

Nobody has contacted emergency services regarding any medical concerns. One firefighter was hospitalized but later released.

Residents living in the area were advised to stay indoors for several hours.

"They're really commonly used, and they're used for sanitation, for bleaching, for manufacturing, for making resin," Dr. Steven Golberg, Chief Medical Officer of HealthTrackRX said, "When you keep them cool, you keep them calm. But what happened was it seemed there was a bit of a fire. The temperature around them got elevated, that caused them to vaporize and get into the air."

Dr. Goldberg applauded the call to issue shelter in place orders, knowing what was at risk. He said, "Most commonly, there is irritation to the body. Irritation to the nose, to the throat, to the lungs. If someone has underlying lung diease, and they have exposure, that could be a problem to their breathing."

What you can do:

The Pinellas Park Fire Department says that anyone who believes they were directly exposed or is experiencing symptoms should contact their healthcare provider. 

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A specialized contractor is cleaning the affected area.

Pinellas Park Firefighters, Lealman Fire Rescue, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, Largo Fire Rescue and the Pinellas County HAZMAT Team responded to the incident.

Updates will be made to this story as more information is released.