Some Tangelo Park residents concerned about neighboring Orlando missile factory after fire

Neighbors to missile factory concerned about fire

Some Tangelo Park residents shared concerns about a neighboring missile factory following a hazardous materials fire on Thursday morning.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Some Tangelo Park residents shared concerns about a neighboring missile factory following a hazardous materials fire on Thursday morning.

Five people were hurt in the fire. Two of them were in critical condition. Neighbors had to either evacuate or turn off their air conditioning as a precaution against any toxic fumes.

"The way it was blowing, it was blowing toward our house," resident Myles Barker said. "So what they were saying was that the chemicals could easily go inside the A/C in which we would eventually inhale the fumes from the chemicals."

No one in neighboring homes was hurt by any toxic fumes.

The factory, now owned by L3 Harris Technologies, has been in Orlando for more than 30 years, the company said. Some neighbors told FOX 35 they had no idea what the company does and what kind of materials it works with.

"I thought it was an office building or something," resident Doreatha Lewis said. "I didn't know they had chemicals in there."

The factory sits within the borders of the City of Orlando. Tangelo Park does not. It's under the jurisdiction of Orange County.

The neighborhood dates back to the 1950s and is now home to roughly 2,500 people.

"I thought it was an office building or something. I didn't know they had chemicals in there."

The factory is properly permitted with the City of Orlando, a city spokesperson confirmed. It's part of a big industrial park annexed by the city in the 1970s. The land hasn't been re-zoned since.

"When a property is annexed into the city, the city typically attempts to match the county zoning [designation]," the city said in a written statement to FOX 35 News. "The industrial park zoning designation allows for manufacturing and processing."

In a report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the missile maker, Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of L3 Harris Technologies, warned, "Our business operations involve the handling, production, and disposition of potentially explosive and ignitable energetic materials and other dangerous chemicals… A release of these chemicals or an unplanned ignition or explosion could result in death or significant injuries to employees and others. Material property damage to us and third parties could also occur."

While some residents were concerned about the contents of the factory, they were also thankful the fire was contained to the building and did not spread to any homes.

"It's a peace of mind that, thankfully, nothing bad happened," resident Angel Barker said. "Prayerfully, it stays like that."

L3 Harris Technologies sent FOX 35 News a written statement in response to concerns about safety at the Orlando facility.

"Our facilities comply with all local, state and federal requirements for handling hazardous materials. We have obtained and are operating within the appropriate state and local permits for these materials and processes.

"L3Harris has a comprehensive risk management framework in place to address and mitigate a range of risks in an effective manner. We have established internal controls, insurance policies, and contingency plans to protect our employees, the public, the business and stakeholders.

"The Coleman Aerospace site has been a part of the Orlando community for more than 30 years. Our 200 dedicated employees manufacture complex, high-fidelity and advanced missile targets used to test the systems that protect our warfighters, our nation, and our allies, and they develop next generation propulsion to improve torpedo capabilities."

Firefighters said the building had the proper fire mitigation procedures. They traced the fire to lithium powder but are still investigating what caused the powder to ignite.

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