Officials did a reverse 911 call, asking 500 residents to voluntarily evacuate homes in the Carter Lake area after a chemical explosion. Four people were injured when the explosion produced a toxic cloud outside the Carter Lake Filter Plant.
The evacuation Friday afternoon was a precautionary measure after officials became concerned that chlorine may have mixed with other chemicals to produce a more toxic gas, said Chloe McKinley, spokeswoman for the Berthoud Fire Protection District.
“They’re looking at possible cross-contamination,” McKinley said.
Deb Graves, also from Berthoud Fire, said there were too many unknowns with the chemicals.
The Red Cross set up a shelter at the Berthoud Community Center, 248 Welch Ave., for people leaving their homes.
If anyone decided to stay in their houses, they were asked to keep windows shut and turn their air conditioners off. But anyone who left their homes will not be allowed to return to them for at least 12 hours, Graves said.
The four injured plant employees were sent to a decontamination unit and two of them were taken by ambulance to a hospital following the 7:15 a.m. explosion, officials said. The employees were treated and released.
Four firefighters, who were not injured, were also decontaminated as a precaution, McKinley said.
The plant and grounds were evacuated, said Eloise Campanella, spokeswoman for the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department.
“A chemical truck was unloading chemicals and there was an explosion on that truck,” said Judy Dahl, business manager for the Little Thompson Water District, part owner of the filtration plant.
McKinley said a chlorine gas leak caused the explosion, but Dahl said it has not yet been determined which chemical was ignited.
Plant windows and doors were blown out and the building sustained substantial damage, Campanella said.
The plant employees were not seriously injured, Dahl said.
The Carter Lake treatment plant has been closed but another treatment plant will meet the needs of water district customers, Dahl said.
Several roads have been blocked off including County Road 8E, Schofield Road and County Road 27E at 8E and access to Carter Lake was restricted, McKinley said.
Carter Knolls and Saddle Bay of Carter Lake were closed until further notice. Boats are allowed on the north side of Carter Lake only.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the explosion, Dahl said.
Officials have performed air quality tests which indicate there is no lingering hazard, she said. No nearby residents have been evacuated, McKinley said.
The Loveland Fire Department Hazmat team responded to the explosion, Dahl said.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
