Lucier: Wheelabrator fire caused by ‘extended venting’

SAUGUS – Officials from Wheelabrator said last week?s fire at the plant was caused when “combustible material” caught fire due to “extended venting and vibrations” after one of the steam turbines went offline earlier in the day.?A steam turbine tripped off in an unexpected event,” said Plant Manager Eric Lucier told the Saugus Board of Health on Monday. “It took longer than expected to diagnose the problem ? After about two hours we decided to get GE in there.”Firefighters responded to a two-alarm fire on the roof of the Wheelabrator trash-burning plant last Thursday at 8:55 p.m. It took 21 firefighters about an hour to get the fire under control, which was on the roof at the rear of the plant.Lucier said a GE technician had to drive down from Maine and in the meantime he told the board Monday that he “took one boiler off line to reduce the steam we had to vent.”Lucier said a technician finally arrived at around 5:45 p.m. and fixed the problem at around 8:30 p.m.?We were venting the steam, which caused a noise issue and a number of complaints came in,” said Lucier.Board member Pamela Harris lives in the area and said she never heard a noise like before from the plant.?It didn?t sound like the typical venting,” she said. “There was definitely a metal grounding noise that is usually not evident.”Lucier said because the steam turbine tripped off completely, all that steam had to be vented which caused vibrations in the metal structure near the vent.Lucier also noted the fire had “minimal impact on operations.”Regional Manager Jairaj Gosine acknowledged they have to improve communications with board members and the board in turn voted to approve a motion that for any future issues at the plant, a call will immediately be made to Public Health Director Frank Giacalone.?We underscore every issue,” said Chairman Joe Vinard. “Whether you think it?s related to us or not related to us.”The board also discussed ongoing odor issues with at the plant, which Vinard said is worse than it?s been in the past.?There have been warm days in the spring where there was no odor,” he said. “There?s something different that?s changed now that is causing the odor to get out. And it?s not just Saugus. It?s Revere and Lynn ? We?re having concerns about the odor and other issues going on down there and we need those addressed.”In other business, the board voted to update the town?s new tobacco regulation to include a ban on all “non-residential” roll-your-own cigarette machines. The previous version banned “commercial” roll-your-own machines.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].