NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Fire Department responded to a reported explosion at a powder coating and paint business on Culvert Street Friday afternoon. Upon investigation, the reported explosion turned out instead to be a combustion involving chemicals.
Metro Nashville police and the fire department were called to Akzo Nobel around 1:20 p.m. when the materials inside the building combusted.
Crews responding to the scene said that no injuries were reported as a result of this incident. Akzo Nobel spokesperson Aaron Woods also confirmed that no employees were injured.
Nashville Fire Department said that a delivery of organic peroxide was sent to the company's warehouse by accident. The chemicals were inside shrink-wrapped cardboard boxes, which were left on a pallet in the loading bay dock. The chemicals were supposed to be stored at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid combustion.
The unattended materials began to combust due to the rising temperatures in the warehouse.
The threat was minimized because the materials were kept in shrink-wrap. Employees were unaware of the threat because of the mistaken delivery.
Woods said that all employees were promptly evacuated and have been accounted for. Akzo Nobel is looking into the cause of the mistaken delivery Friday afternoon and working to remove the chemicals from the warehouse.
