Millions in damage feared at Technical Research Centre fire in Otaniemi

Blaze put out quickly, smoke damages delicate cleanroom equipment

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Fire and smoke caused millions of euros worth of damage at the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) in the Otaniemi district of Espoo on Friday night.
      The blaze broke out at about midnight in the Micronova building, which specialises in microelectronics research and development.
      The automatic alarm system that was in place alerted both VTT's own personnel and firefighters. When the response came, the cleanroom of the research institute was filling with smoke.
     
Firefighters succeeded in putting out the blaze within ten minutes. By that time, however, the smoke had caused considerable damage: the efficient air circulation system in the cleanroom spread a cloud of soot into an area containing expensive research equipment. The immediate damage is believed to be measured in the millions of euros, and the full extent is expected to be revealed sometime in the coming week.
      In addition to the material damage caused by the fire, the suspension of activities will also be expensive. According to VTT client manager Ilkka Suni, the damaged area will be out of commission by about six months, leading to delays in services to VTT's corporate clients.
     
VTT says that the fire probably started at a cleaning station used for the chemical treatment of silicon discs. The actual cause of the fire was unknown during the weekend, and investigators hope to learn more in investigations that begin on Monday.
      Ulrika Gyllenberg, who manages the cleanroom, praised the rapid action of the rescue department, which kept the damage to a minimum.
      Toxic emissions were also averted. The area affected contains toxic and corrosive gases, but the sensitive emergency system automatically shut the valves of the gas lines.


Links:
  VTT: Cleanroom technology

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