A four-alarm chemical fire that sent mushroom clouds of smoke over Affton and forced evacuations of residents Thursday afternoon was something Affton fire officials had long dreaded, but the blaze was fully contained within hours and residents could return to their houses by Thursday evening.
Although the wooden structure of at least one building of the Manor Chemical Company plant at 6901 Heege Road completely burned to the ground, the only injury from the heavy fire was to a firefighter who was overcome by heat or stress and was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
Affton Fire Protection District Chief Nick Fahs talked to reporters about the fire, which started around 2:30 p.m., at the AFPD’s new firehouse on Valcour about 8:30 p.m. By that time, the injured firefighter was “OK,” all residents were back in their homes, all streets were opened, and the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District cleared the sewer lines. An active investigation was still going on at the mangled Manor