Second plant fire draws curious investigators at Chickasha

Federal and state agencies investigating hand sanitizer facility fire photo 1

 

For a second time in just a few months, Chickasha businessman Brannan Bordwine has suffered the loss of a manufacturing operation. And for a second time, the fire that destroyed his hand sanitizer storage operation near Ninnekah is under investigation by state and federal agencies.

He came under investigation in August when a fire destroyed his hand sanitizing manufacturing plant in Chickasha, a fire that resulted in a $6.6 million fine from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality because he lacked the proper permits.

Now the DEQ is back on the scene of the Wednesday fire, along with the State Fire Marshal and the OSBI.

Federal and state agencies investigate fire at Grady County hand sanitizer facility photo 1

 

Grady County Emergency Management Director Dale Thompson told reporters the initial concern was preventing stored chemicals from flowing into a nearby creek.

But now, authorities are curious since it was the second fire within two months involving one of Bordwine’s operations.

“There are lots of questions because it is coincidental that you have a fire half a mile up the road then two months later another facility catches fire and it is owned by the same person,” Thompson told KOKH Fox 25 News.