BUCKEYE, AZ (June 21, 2024): Just before 4:30 p.m. Friday, Buckeye police received a call of a potential HAZMAT situation at Thatcher Company on Rainbow Rd near Southern. The Buckeye Fire and Medical Rescue Department responded.

Responding crews learned an employee at the site was filling a commercial vehicle with nitric acid when a spill occurred, sending a chemical plume into the air. Buckeye police issued a reverse 911 notification to individuals in the immediate area advising shelter in place. Individuals with respiratory issues were encouraged to seek shelter at the Coyote Library if needed.

It was later learned approximately 200 gallons of nitric acid had leaked into a retention basin designed for spills. The chemical came into contact with an unknown metal causing a gaseous reaction. Employees were able to shut down a pump to stop the leak. The chemical reaction ceased.

Around 7 p.m., the shelter in place was lifted. No injuries or illnesses were reported. We are grateful for the assistance of fire departments from Phoenix, Goodyear, Avondale and Arizona Fire and Medical Authority.