Summary
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport became a winter wonderland when a fireplace suppression foam system leaked, covering a hangar, carpark, and road with foam.
- The froth is a possible threat to a close-by bayou, and multiple organizations, including United Airlines and Houston Fire Department, are participating within the cleanup.
- Industrial flight operations continued without interruption despite the incident, and staff in hazmat suits sprayed an answer to dissolve the froth.
Parts of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) might have been mistaken for a winter wonderland when a fireplace suppression foam system leaked, causing a United Airlines hangar to fill with foam and spill into the carpark and a road nearby. Several feet of froth have been seen surrounding vehicles next to the hangar. Reports by click2houston have also noted that the froth is a possible threat to a close-by bayou.
The hearth suppression system malfunction occurred around 05:30 on Thursday within the United Airlines hangar, releasing the biodegradable PFAS-free fire suppression foam.
Multiple organizations are actually a part of the cleanup, including the airline itself and the Houston Fire Department, Public Works, and Houston Airports currently on site.
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Stuck within the constructing
Attributable to the short release and build-up of the froth, multiple staff were reportedly stuck contained in the hangar, while others noted they walked out the side door and the froth was billowing out the side of the hangar, resembling a ‘lava flow.’ One staff member recounted the experience with click2houston:
“I’ve been in aviation for 36 years, and I’ve heard of the hearth extinguisher systems going off, but I’ve never been present for one,”
Photo: United Airlines
Some staff noted it was some sight to see, with Michael Sharp telling KPRC 2:
“One in every of the staff got here in and asked if I desired to see something that looked crazy. I walked out to the side of the constructing and there was just foam pouring out to the tip of the constructing and coming out like a lava flow. You may see it rolling similar to the images of lava flow you see on TV in Hawaii. Really wild-looking. I’ve been in aviation for 36 years. I’ve heard of the hearth extinguisher systems going off but never been present for it.”
The United Airlines environmental team sprung quickly into motion following the froth’s arrival and has made significant progress in cleansing up the biodegradable foam. Houston fire officials, who were also there on Thursday, noted that it had reached heights of as much as 30 feet and around 100 yards from the hangar.
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Flights continued to operate.
Fortunately for passengers, the froth incident didn’t affect industrial flight operations. The cleanup has taken multiple hours, and staff have been deployed in hazmat suits to spray a novel solution on the froth, which can ‘eat’ away at it.