Category Archives: Manufacturing Plant

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Winona, MN – Fire at manufacturing plant contained by sprinkler system; No injuries reported

A pallet loaded too close to a radiant heater in the storage shipment area of Behrens Manufacturing caught fire early Friday morning, triggering three sprinkler heads and causing some structural and water damage.

The Winona Fire Department responded to the scene at 1250 E. Sanborn St. at 5:13 a.m. after being notified by the building’s internal alarm system, according to fire chief Curt Bittle. The department paged in all of its off-duty firefighters to total 18 responding.

The scene was cleared at 7:37 a.m., Bittle said, with much of the time devoted to clearing up water damage from the sprinklers that had kept the flames contained to the storage area. Firefighters put out what was left of the blaze upon their arrival.

There were no injuries and the fire was an accidental one, according to Bittle. A monetary assessment of the damages had not been done as of Friday morning.

After the crew conducted air monitoring to determine whether the building’s day shift could report to work, Behrens chose to cancel its 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, Bittle said, but he expected the shift beginning at 3 p.m. would run as usual.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Rockford, IL – Fire at machining manufacturer is doused by sprinkler system

A local business’ sprinkler system prevents thousands of dollars of damage after an early morning fire. The blaze broke out at Barnes International on Chestnut Street shortly before 1:00 last Wednesday morning. According to Rockford Fire, crews saw smoke from the building, but most of the flames were extinguished by a sprinkler system, limiting the damage and allowing firefighters to put out the remaining blaze with fire extinguishers. Officals say the fire was accidental, and no one was hurt.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Columbus, IN – Sprinkler system activates in fire at aluminum plant; Assists firefighters in controlling blaze

Columbus firefighters battled an early morning industrial fire at Nikkei MC Aluminum America Inc. in bitterly cold temperatures Tuesday morning. Firefighters were sent to the manufacturing facility at 6875 Inwood Drive at 3:32 a.m. Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported. Nikkei MC Aluminum America, Inc. (NMAA) is a secondary aluminum manufacturer who supplies aluminum alloys to the die-casting and gravity-casting industries.

The fire was reported by an employee who saw flames within the facility and called 911, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. When firefighters arrived, they found smoke and flames showing and were told all 10 employees inside the building had evacuated prior to the firefighters’ arrival.

Firefighters found heavy smoke and an activated sprinkler system which was working as they made their way into the interior of the smelting facility, Wilson said. They reported to the command that there were two fires in the facility, one located overhead as well as fire located at a dust collector on the exterior of the building, Wilson said.

As additional firefighting crews arrived on the scene, company representatives cautioned the firefighters about applying water to the smelting furnace and associated machinery. With two interior crews operating within the interior of the building, and fire visible above the sprinkler system, command ordered that the sprinkler system be turned off, Wilson said.

With the sprinkler system off, interior crews could see smoldering material located on several steel I-beams overhead. This material was a collection of dust and particulate matter that had ignited. MC Aluminum representatives told investigators that the flames were originally located near an afterburner furnace, which limits the amount of unburned pollution material being expelled into the atmosphere. Heat and flames spread to a collection of dust within the facility, causing several spot fires near the interior ceiling of the plant. A dust collector was also on fire, Wilson said.

Firefighters went to the roof of the facility and learned it was clear of fire.

At about 5:25 a.m., firefighters reported that the fire was under control, Wilson said.

With a few spot fires still located on the steel beams overhead, MC Aluminum maintenance crews used an articulating boom lift to access and extinguish the remaining smoldering materials.

Fire Command was terminated at approximately 5:47 a.m. and the facility was turned over to MC Aluminum, Wilson said.

A total of 13 Columbus Fire Department units responded to the fire, which included four engine companies and two rescue companies. The remaining seven units were command and support staff.

Wilson said no damage estimate was available and the fire has been ruled accidental.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Everson, WA – Fire at nylon casting business controlled by sprinkler system

An Everson nylon casting business that has suffered two substantial fires since 2006 had another Thursday evening, but the building’s sprinkler system kept damage to a minimum and allowed everybody to get out safely.

Whatcom County Fire District 1, with the assistance of crews from the Lynden Fire Department and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, responded to a report of a commercial fire at 7:52 p.m. at the Nylatech, Inc. facility at 223 W. Main St. 

According to District 1 Chief Mel Bankers in an interview Friday with The Bellingham Herald, a machine that heats up raw plastic and spins it at a high rate of speed before pouring it into a mold malfunctioned.

“One of the employees heard a loud pop,” Blankers told The Herald. “They think it was the sound of a bolt breaking in the machine. After that happened, plastic began to leak out, and it was extremely hot — near its flash point. When the fumes found an ignition source, they ignited.”

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Abilene, TX – Sprinkler system activated in fire at boat manufacturing facility

One Tigé Boats employee was treated for smoke inhalation after a boat caught fire at the manufacturing facility at 1801 State Highway 36 on Monday. The Abilene Fire Department arrived at the plant at about 10:20 p.m. to find employees had pulled a boat on fire outside. The firefighters extinguished the fire in the boat and ventilated the building with large fans, according to an AFD news release. The fire started in the boat’s motor compartment while about half-way through the assembly line process, the AFD stated. “Employees used numerous fire extinguishers to extinguish the fire, and the sprinkler system was activated,” according to the news release. The boat sustained an estimated $100,000 in damage. There also was minor water damage to the building, AFD stated.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fort Dodge, IA – Paint booth fire at manufacturing plant contained by sprinkler system; No injuries

A fire ignited inside a paint booth at the Josephson Manufacturing Co. plant in Fort Dodge late Wednesday night. A sprinkler system confined the flames to the booth. No one was injured. Police and firefighters were called to the plant at 216 Central Ave. at about 11 p.m. because the fire alarm, burglar alarm and sprinkler system all activated. Smoke was coming out of the building in several places when firefighters arrived, according to Fire Department Capt. Jeff Hill. He said firefighters forced open the front door and pulled a hoseline inside.

“The sprinkler system kept the fire contained in the paint booth until we could get a crew inside to extinguish what was burning,“ Hill said. “It was pretty thick smoke. They had zero visibility going in there.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Marshalltown, IA – Early morning fire at manufacturing facility contained by sprinkler system

The Marshalltown Fire Department responded to a manufacturing facility filled with smoke early Tuesday morning. Around 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Marshalltown Fire Department was dispatched to Bruin Manufacturing located at 607 N 4th Avenue for an automatic fire alarm. Upon arrival, fire crews found nothing visible from the exterior and water flowing from a sprinkler drain on the front of the building. Upon entry to the building, it was found to be charged with smoke.

Once suppression equipment was in place, the entry team found a single machine on fire with a sprinkler head activated above the fire keeping the fire contained. Fire personnel extinguished the remaining fire with a single attack line without incident. The fire was caused by a hydraulic line failure and ignition of the petroleum based hydraulic fluid. The building was not occupied at the time of the fire, there were no injuries associated with the incident. Marshalltown Police, Unity Point EMS, and Alliant Energy assisted at the scene. Fire Department units were at the scene for approximately 90 minutes

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Morganton, NC – Sprinkler system activated at Molded Fiberglass plant

The Morganton Department of Public Safety responded Wednesday (January 2) to a fire at the Molded Fiberglass plant at 213 Reep Drive. Firefighters were dispatched at 9:07 a.m. Wednesday, upon arrival, responding units were met with smoke and flames coming from the roof and around one of the ovens inside the plant. All employees had evacuated after trying initially to knock down the flames with a fire extinguisher.

The sprinkler system activated when the fire blew out the top of an oven used to mold fiberglass vehicle parts and ignited dust and resin collected on the building’s structural beams above. The fire spread to the ceiling and through a wall to the roof quickly. There were no injuries and property damage was confined to one section of the roof and a vent system.

Morganton fire units were on the scene for over two hours extinguishing the blaze and checking for fire extension. Burke County EMS responded to assist Morganton with any medical issues or injuries. The damage to the building was minimal and plant operations resumed as soon as the fire equipment and personnel were removed from the roof and oven room. A news release says the fire does not appear to be suspicious.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Windsor, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system activated at rubber processing plant

Windsor Fire and Rescue Services firefighters at the scene of a fire at Windsor Rubber Processing Ltd. at 1680 Kildare Road on Dec. 27, 2018. Emergency crews were called out during the noon hour after a machine that shreds rubber overheated, igniting fine fibres in the air. The plant’s sprinkler system extinguished a small fire before fire crews arrived. Firefighters spent nearly two hours at the scene, chasing down glowing embers in the rafters of the evacuated industrial facility. Total damages were described as minor by city fire officials.