October 7, 2019

2 Min Read
Homes Evacuated During Fire at Chemical Plant
A view of the Bright International facility in Coolidge, AZ. Image courtesy of Google Maps

A blaze at the Bright International Corporation chemical plant in Coolidge, AZ last Friday afternoon led officials to issue a call for voluntary evacuations for residents in the area, local news organizations reported. 

The fire ignited at about 2 p.m. at the Coolidge Avenue facility when the plant was operational, Coolidge Police Department Sgt. Shanna Martinez told the Arizona Republic. About 300 houses in the community were evacuated during the incident, the official said, because of a “heavy” chemical cloud that was generated by the fire. 

Crews remained on scene into Saturday morning, according to social media posts by the Coolidge Fire Department. The voluntary evacuations were cancelled at about 6 a.m. Saturday after authorities determined there were “no toxins in the air and no hazards to the public,” the local police department said in a Facebook post. 

“We are grateful that this incident did not injure any employees or damage our manufacturing facilities,” Bright International said in a statement printed by ABC News affiliate KNXV. The company added: “We take this situation very seriously and are cooperating fully with local and state officials as we investigate this incident.”

Private investment firm Aterian Investment Partners purchased Bright International this August. The company is the largest manufacturer of hair bleach products in the U.S. and also produces shaving depilatory powders, liquid developer, and hair color.

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