By David Eck
Enquirer contributor

Firefighters from Madison Township and Middletown work at the scene of a fire at Mar-Flex Waterproofing & Basement Products on Chrisman Lane Wednesday morning. (Glenn Hartong photo)

MADISON TWP. - Chemicals on top of a 1,500-gallon container ignited Wednesday, causing a fire at a Madison Township plant.

No chemicals were released during the fire at the Mar-Flex Waterproofing & Basement Products plant at 6866 Chrisman Lane, and no evacuations in the area were necessary, said Butler County Sheriff's Detective Monte Mayer.

However, one employee was taken to Middletown Regional Hospital after inhaling smoke, Mayer said. That person's name and condition were not released.

Six firefighters also were evaluated at Middletown Regional after the fire but were all fine, fire officials said.

"We had a small, contained fire on top of a 1,500-gallon drum," Madison Township Fire Chief Kent Hall said. "Why it ignited I really don't know right now. We used some dry chemical and foam to smother it.''

The warehouse in which the blaze started suffered some fire damage, but no damage estimate has been determined, Hall said.

Firefighters were called to the plant at 8:21 a.m. Fifteen to 20 workers were evacuated.

Butler County sheriff's deputies blocked Thomas Road at Ohio 4 adjacent to the plant for about two hours during the incident.

"Due to some of the chemical nature of the processes at the plant, we did notify all residents along Thomas Road exactly what was happening," Mayer said. "We were prepared to actually do some evacuations if the situation worsened."

The fire was brought under control about 9:30 a.m.

Firefighters from Middletown and a Middletown Hazardous Materials Unit assisted Madison Township.

"We got lucky on this because we got here pretty quick and got it contained," Hall said. "It could have been a lot worse."

E-mail daveck@fuse.net