San Marcos
About 130 employees were evacuated from a San Marcos industrial complex Sunday night, and six were treated for smoke inhalation after plastic resin in a tank ignited, a Fire Department spokesman said.
Firefighters took about 30 minutes to put out the 11:07 p.m. fire in the tank, used for cleaning optical lenses, at Signet Armorlite, Capt. Michael Marks said Monday.
The six workers were treated for smoke inhalation at Palomar Medical Center and released, Marks said.
The fire began when a water valve in the tank opened, causing the water to drain and heat to build up, said Signet’s president, Richard Carter. The heat apparently caused the resin to catch fire, Carter said.
“To my knowledge, we haven’t had this occur in the past,” Carter said. “It was an error made by someone probably, and we’ll be more cautious in the future.”
The tank still works, Carter said.
No loss has been estimated, Marks said. The cause of the fire is undetermined, he said.
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