Nearly 150 Snohomish County firefighters may have inhaled asbestos during training exercise

Nearly 150 firefighters may have inhaled asbestos at a training exercise at two abandoned houses in Snohomish.

The Daily Herald in Everett has reported a private company tested the two houses before they were deliberately set ablaze.  Both houses were considered asbestos free.

But a month later, more tests showed asbestos in spots inaccessible before the fires.

Officials say, so far, there’s “no evidence of risk to firefighters or the public.”

Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause lung cancer, scarring and breathing difficulties.

Three local fire agencies, including Snohomish District Four, South County Fire and Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue, plan to release an investigative report on the possible exposure.

In April, crews from each of those districts set fires at two houses on Pine Avenue, in the city of Snohomish, as part of a live-fire training exercise.

A day before training was set to begin, Snohomish District Four Assistant Chief Jason Hodkinson reported at a board meeting that both houses had been tested for asbestos and were given the all-clear.

But District 4 commissioners learned of new test results about a month later.

They found out about the potential exposure after a second round of testing determined there was contamination in deeper layers of building material.

The Herald reports the fire agencies “took immediate action” and formed a Joint Safety Committee to investigate.

In an email statement released to the public, the committee wrote:

“Our biggest priority is the safety of the public and firefighters.  Regardless of how small the risk, we must do everything in our power to prevent a situation like this from happening again. We hope answers from this report will help us achieve that because this training helps make our communities safer.”

A lot of older buildings constructed before the 1970s contain asbestos. But it’s not considered a health threat, unless disturbed. If tiny airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can cause long-term damage, including lung cancer, scarring and breathing difficulties. But medical experts warn it can take up to 30 years for signs of asbestosis and other related diseases to show up.

According to the Herald, 36 firefighters from District 4 participated in the training exercise.  At least 27 South County firefighters and 80 firefighters from Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue also took part in the live-fire training. Those firefighters wore protective gear.

Officials have notified the firefighters’ union and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

All those involved also had to fill out an Occupational Safety and Health Administration form.

The two houses, at 317 and 325 Pine Avenue, were both built in 1902.  Fire District Four bought both properties as part of a $4.3 million purchase of 5.6 acres, with plans to build a new fire station.

The Everett Herald obtained records that indicate the district hired Mount Vernon-based Environmental Abatement Services to test and clean the houses.

The district also got approval from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for the drill.