Colorado Springs Fire Department lifts pre-evacuation warning for hazmat fire

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) has lifted the pre-evacuation for Tenderfoot Hill Road between Venetucci and Tenderfoot Hill St. after a hazmat incident.

According to CSFD, firefighters responded to a fire at the Microchip Technology building around 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16. First responders had previous knowledge and pre-incident planning of the facility that helped crews established which hazardous materials may have been involved.

CSFD says a container of silane gas had ignited. Because of its chemical properties, crews did not immediately extinguish the fire, as water or directly putting the fire out could have created additional hazards.

CSFD says their hazmat crews also responded and worked with Microchip Technology staff to manage the incident.

CSFD says a Denver hazmat team is responding, and the fire self-extinguished. The area below was under a pre-evacuation that was placed on Aug.16 around 4 p.m.

CSFD says firefighters and hazmat crews remained on the scene overnight while the fire was allowed to burn in a controlled environment. The fire went out around 1:50 a.m. on Monday. According to officials, specialized silane experts from Denver were able to remove the affected cylinder from the cabinet.

The pre-evacuation was lifted around 10:56 a.m. Monday, after the area was confirmed to be safe and there was no active leak.

The fire department has also not said how much, if any, of the chemical gas was released into the surrounding area. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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