Chemical Reaction Ignites Fire at Micron in Manassas

A reaction between two chemicals started a fire in a storage building at Micron Technology Inc. on Thursday afternoon, Manassas officials said in a press release Friday. 

Around 2:45 p.m., two Micron employees were preparing to remove discarded materials from the storage building, located on Nokesville Road near Technology Drive, when they noticed smoke and flames coming from a large pile of fiberglass and plastic.

Emergency units responding to the scene were met with smoke and flames, but firefighters managed to extinguish the fire and contain the damaged to the rear of the building.

In addition to Manassas City, Manassas Park and Prince William County firefighters, the county's Hazardous Materials Response Team also responded because chemicals were possibly involved in the incident, Manassas officials said.

The fire marshal and Micron representatives found the fire was caused by a chemical reaction from a build-up of silane gas particles and ammonium nitrate, according to the release.

The buildup was inside a discarded piece of pipe at the bottom of the debris pile. The pipe had been used in the manufacturing process at Micron.

At room temperature, silane is a gas, and is pyrophoric, meaning it undergoes spontaneous combustion in air without the need for external ignition, according to the release.

No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. Officials are still working on a damage estimate.