SFD Hazmat Team Responds to Ammonia Leak
Seattle Fire's hazmat unit responded to an ammonia leak on a commercial vessel at the Seattle waterfront. The incident, at the 600 block of W. Ewing Street, prompted a full evacuation and highlighted the department's rapid-response protocols for industrial chemical spills.
The incident occurred along the Seattle Ship Canal, a hub for maritime businesses and light industry where hazardous materials are common. Anhydrous ammonia is widely used as a refrigerant on commercial fishing and processing vessels to freeze seafood at sea. Ammonia is considered immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) at a concentration of 300 parts per million. Critically for first responders, prolonged exposure can lead to olfactory fatigue, meaning the ability to smell the chemical's pungent odor diminishes, making it an unreliable warning sign. When released, anhydrous ammonia rapidly expands and seeks moisture, reacting with it to form ammonium hydroxide, a corrosive alkali. This can cause severe chemical burns to the respiratory tract, eyes, and skin. Contact with the refrigerated liquid can also cause frostbite injuries. Seattle Fire's Hazardous Materials Response Team (Unit 77) was the department's first specialized unit, formed in 1980. It is one of several Special Operations units, including Marine and Rescue companies, that provide technical support to first-line engine and ladder companies during complex incidents. Waterfront ammonia leaks are a recurring challenge
