Imagine putting way too much soap in a washing machine and the laundry room being filled with white foam seeping from the machine. This is what the streets of Bærum, Norway looked like—but on a much larger scale—after a recent foam leak from an industrial building.
Photo Credit: https://www.nrk.no/norge/stor-skumlekkasje-etter-roykutvikling-i-naeringspark-1.16929761
Although the foam mimicked that of a laundry overflow, the two are not quite the same substances. The foam that poured out of the building at Grini Næringspark (an office park) was part of a fire extinguishing system utilized in the building. The system works such that in the event of a fire, the entire room fills up with a liquid foam that acts as an extinguishing agent. Operations Manager Bjarne Pedersen, said they “received a report of a smoke build-up which triggered an automatic extinguishing system.” They believe a mistake must have been made somewhere along the line, such as a door or gate being left open, that allowed the foam to flow out of the building. There was a total of 2,000 liters of foam used which is about 1,400 cubic meters of foam.
The foam blew down streets and much of it went into the nearby river. Fortunately, the manufacturer of the foam, which happens to be an American company, believes there is no danger to the environment. The police, fire service, suction trucks and bilge pumps were called to the scene to aid in the cleanup effort. Additionally, the hope is that the recent rainfall will take care of the majority of the foam spill and will aid in its disappearance.
Because the foam is so lightweight and needs to quell a fire, a lot is released in a short amount of time which explains why there was so much. It is reassuring, however, to know that the system acted as it should in the event of an emergency.