VIDEO: Firefighters who battled the inferno at the Stella Jones Pole Treatment Facility faced a harrowing ordeal when the site exploded, turning the scene into chaos. Spruce McRee, Brierfield Fire Chief, said, “Well we’re thinking how are we going to get out of this alive? I mean Stella Jones is probably the largest target hazard in our area.”
Brad Davis, Fire Chief of the City of Montevallo, described the scene: “Everybody just started scattering. Hate to say it but it was kind of chaotic.” Jeremy Chance, Deputy Chief of Brierfield Fire and Rescue, recalled the intensity of the explosion: “When the explosion went off you could feel the heat it was like you were sitting next to a campfire.” Davis added, “It justโฆ It’s hundreds of feet in the air it engulfed the whole area.”
The fire, which erupted on Saturday, required assistance from 30 different agencies, including hazmat crews who used thermal drones to clear the building for hazards. Due to limited access to fire hydrants, many departments were asked to bring water or source it from nearby areas.
Davis reflected on the experience, saying, “You can’t explain it it’s nothing that I’ve ever seen hopefully will never see again. You can see it building our guys were getting set up ready to go and it builds and that’s when the large explosion occurred and you’ve seen in all the pictures and videos and you can’t even explain it.”
The fire could not be extinguished completely due to environmental concerns from the water runoff. Eventually, it was deemed safe to let the fire burn out on its own, taking nearly a full day to extinguish completely. Several firefighters sustained minor injuries, with one suffering a first-degree burn on his face, but he has since been cleared. The firefighters praised the composure of their colleagues amid the high flames and explosion.
