The Fire Department declared a hazardous materials emergency for around three hours as a precaution Sunday afternoon after a trailer outside a Ferry Street business was reportedly leaking unknown vapor, according to Fire Chief David Mottor.
Firefighters were called to 69 Ferry St for a report from a passerby that a trailer was smoking. The chemicals inside the trailer turned out to not be a threat to public safety, but firefighters did not know that when they first arrived on the scene, Mottor said.
The business, Pioneer Valley Wheel Repair, had ten 5-gallon drums containing a chemical used to clean aluminum rims inside the trailer. The owner later told firefighters that the chemical needs to be at a certain temperature to be effective, so he keeps it in a trailer with a heater running, Mottor said.