NORFOLK, Neb. -- A chemical reaction caused a fire Wednesday that damaged a Norfolk home.
The fire broke out at 11:33 p.m. at a home at 308 Eighth Street. A passer-by noticed flames in a window and called 911.
The Norfolk Fire Division said in a statement released Thursday that upon arrival, firefighters encountered smoke and fire in the front room of the home.
Firefighters had the fire, which was contained to the immediate front room area, under control within minutes.
The home, which was being renovated by owners Ron Pettitt and Dale Primrose, was not occupied at the time of the fire.
Investigators determined that wood finishing stain and varnish in close proximity caused a chemical reaction, which sparked the blaze.

Firefighters say Polyurethane fumes are to blame for a number of people saying they feel sick at a new Beaumont elementary school campus today.

A Beaumont Fire Department dispatcher says nobody had to be taken to the hospital, but around 11:50 AM, the Beaumont Fire Department was called to reports of fumes making people sick at Martin Elementary at 3500 Pine Street.   That is a new school campus in North Beaumont.  Firefighters discovered the fumes were coming from some contractors putting sealant on the floor in the school's gym.  The fumes had drifted from the gym into the rest of the building.  The building was sealed off and the fire department is using a fan to help ventilate the facility. 

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) - Fire investigators say the fire at Camp Belzer in Lawrence was an accident.

The fire completely destroyed the center for volunteer training at the Boy Scout camp.

Lawrence fire investigators told 24-Hour News 8 Friday morning a chemical called "Duraseal Renovator" was being used to refinish the dining halls' hardwood floors.

The company contracted to do the work left flammable materials in containers which caused the fire.

THE City was hit by traffic chaos in the rush hour after a chemical spill at the New Change shopping mall on Cheapside.
The London Fire Brigade in an alert said 30 people were evacuated as specialist teams combed the building to assess the cause of the spill.
Land Securities, which owns the shopping centre said: “Some workers fitting out a retail unit have been taken ill while carrying out work overnight on site yesterday (24 October 2010). It is being investigated and we are working closely with the police and fire services. The Centre is currently closed as a precautionary measure.”

BRIDGEWATER — Students and staff were evacuated from Hillside School Monday afternoon when
contractors, who were there repairing the roof, accidentally set it on fire.

No one was injured during the incident, which amounted to smoldering of insulation, authorities said.

A Nova Roofing employee was using a propane torch to dry off a portion of the roof when the insulation caught on fire, Bridgewater police Chief Richard Borden said. The employee was able to extinguish it with a dry chemical extinguisher.

Smoke was drawn into the building by the HVAC system and set off the alarm, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional Superintendent Michael Schilder said.

A fire during a remodeling project in Hutchinson sends two people to the hospital. One of them is in critical condition.

It happened around 1:30 Friday afternoon at an apartment complex at 105 N. Maple.

Authorities say the pair was using a chemical to remove glue from the floor when the chemical caught fire. Investigators say the chemical got too close to a hot water heater and ignited.

A 32-year-old woman is now at a Wichita hospital with burns to multiple parts of her body, including her face.

Doctors are treating the other victim at Promise Regional Medical Center in Hutchinson with burns to his arms and legs.

TWO men were taken to hospital after a major chemical incident at an under-construction Aberdeen school.

Firefighters wearing hazardous material suits were called to Aberdeen’s new Kaimhill School in Aberdeen.

Grampian Fire and Rescue Service said builders had created a chemical reaction which led to fumes being released.

The two victims, thought to be construction workers, had symptoms including burning throats and headaches.

groberts@ajl.co.uk

Work stopped on a new school in Aberdeen yesterday after construction workers inhaled toxic fumes.

One of the builders working on Kaimhill School at Garthdee passed out after breathing in fumes which led to two of his colleagues taking themselves to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) suffering from sore throats, nausea, vomiting and headaches.

Admissions of the accident and emergency department at ARI had to be restricted over fears of chemical contamination when the two men arrived. The unit was accepting only emergency patients between 2.50pm-4pm.

Other patients were transferred to the A&E department at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital.

The Scottish Ambulance Service sent paramedics to the site in Pitmedden Crescent just after 2pm when a third construction worker passed out after inhaling the toxic fumes.

It is understood the concentration of a solution the construction workers were preparing was too high, causing the gas.

Residents of a downtown Vancouver condo are living in limbo waiting to find out when their homes will be safe to return to after their building was overcome with toxic fumes — twice.

The 21-storey Electra Building, formerly the B.C. Hydro building at Nelson and Burrard streets, was evacuated late Friday when smoke from a renovation project filled the structure.

Residents from nearly 250 units were allowed back in later that day, only to be asked to leave again Saturday when fumes resurfaced.

Capt. Gabe Roder, spokesperson for the Vancouver Fire Department, said investigators have detected high readings of hydrogen cyanide in the air at the building.

It’s believed the fumes were caused when a contractor replacing some tiles used chemical foam to raise concrete in the basement and noxious fumes filled the tower.