Category Archives: Manufacturing

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Mineral Wells, TX – Sprinkler system helps contain fire after chemical explosions at industrial park; No injuries reported

Several chemical explosions rocked the Industrial Park area near Mineral Wells High School early Monday afternoon.

No injuries were reported to workers or firefighters as a result of three explosions at Buckley Oil Company on S.E. Industrial Parkway, off U.S. Highway 180 East adjacent to Southwire, Reeder Distributors and Mineral Wells Fire Department Station No. 2.

Three explosions were reported around 1:15 p.m., and heavy, black toxic smoke billowed from the property – which became a concern though conditions were such that the smoke rose largely straight into the air and dissipated. Mineral Wells ISD was not in session Monday so there were no health or safety concerns about high school students or faculty.

Mineral Wells Fire Chief Mike Pool said five workers were inside a large covered, but not totally enclosed, area preparing what he described as two 600-gallon totes containing volatile chemicals heptane and toluene. Heptane is a main component of gasoline, while toluene is a gasoline additive and is used as a solvent.

“They are very volatile,” Pool said of the chemicals. “They have a very low flashpoint.”

With low humidity, Pool said the working theory is a static electrical charge sparked a flash fire. He said that is not an official cause and an investigation into what ignited the chemicals and caused the fire remains under investigation.

“It definitely was an accident,” said Pool. “It wasn’t intentional.”

A high-density sprinkler system inside the covered area dumped large amounts of water quickly on the fire, Pool said. He said firefighters were able to quickly respond and spray the area down with a smothering foam. The fire was brought under control within about 30 minutes and within an hour was out, leaving a large clean up operation.

The chief said weather conditions and the quick response helped prevent the fire from becoming worse. He said it is also likely the chemicals burned up quickly.

“It was probably a best case scenario,” Pools said. “Our people and equipment were available.”

He said it was also fortunate the five employees were able to escape uninjured.

“The smoke and wind was something I was concerned about,” Pool said of the scene’s initial assessment. “I thought we might have to evacuate Southwire and Reeder.”

Pool said he believes chemical runoff was contained thanks to the parking lot’s design and a containment tank. He said he was unsure about the eastside of the property where there was no access. Pool said the company would bring in an environmental team to assess and clean up.

“I don’t think we had an issue,” he said.

Because it was a chemical fire firefighters and equipment involved were put through portable decontamination showers at the scene and personnel were instructed to completely shower immediately so as not to possibly spread chemicals elsewhere.

“If we are exposed we have to decontaminate people and gear,” Pool said.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Watertown, WI – Fire sprinklers put out fire at chocolate manufacturer before fire department arrived

Clasen Quality Chocolate, 420 E. Horseshoe Road, started off the new year in a unique way Wednesday.

At 1:22 p.m., the Watertown Fire Department responded to a call for a structure fire at the factory. According to Watertown Fire Chief Kraig Biefeld, the blaze started when a box full of products caught on fire, but the fire was limited to just the box. Sprinklers put it out before units arrived.

“The sprinkler system did its job. That’s why we advocate the use of sprinklers in buildings,” Biefeld said.

The fire department sent the on-duty crew and Biefeld, who went to the call, said with the fire out, the crew went to make sure the fire was out and to ventilate the building.

Mutual aid was initially called, but was quickly called off, according to Biefeld.

Clasen Quality Chocolate produces a variety of chocolate coatings of different colors, flavors and sizes as well as 20 different varieties of chocolate and numerous fillings and spreads.

According to the company website, Clasen Quality Chocolate, “has transitioned from a small, regional compound coating manufacturer to a major supplier of both standard and customized formulations and value-added, confectionery ingredients across North America” and has facilities in Watertown, Middleton with corporate offices and the company innovation center in Madison.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Salt Lake City, UT – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at commercial business

A fire broke out at the International Center late Friday night located at 5281 Harold Gatty Drive on Friday night.

The commercial building was said to contain a large number of paper products, according to Salt Lake City Fire Department. Firefighters first responded to the location due to a water flow alarm going off but when they arrived they saw a fire broke out. The sprinkler system helped contain the flames before crews arrived.

“In a large industrial area like this, it’s not common for us to get a fire and get a quick notice on it,” Adam Archuleta with Salt Lake City Fire told 2News. “If you do hear alarms activated or you do see strobe lights on buildings, that’s usually an indication there has been an alarm drop, so that would be helpful to notify us so we can investigate that.”

The building was reported to be empty at the time of the fire.

Investigators are currently determining the cause of the fire.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Canby, OR – Fire at horticultural manufacturer controlled by fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

No one was injured in a one-alarm fire that broke out on SW Berg Parkway in Canby Friday. The blaze originated bat OBC Northwest, a manufacturer and distributor of nursery, greenhouse and horticultural supplies.

The fire was active and staff had already evacuated when Canby Fire crews arrived on the scene, Division Chief Matt English said. The building’s sprinkler system kicked on and helped control the fire’s spread until CFD extinguished it.

Canby Police assisted in closing Berg Parkway for a short time to give CFD access to a nearby fire hydrant.

“We received mutual aid from Aurora, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, and Clackamas Fire District 1,” English said. “The Canby Fire Rehab group also responded to take care of the firefighters on scene.”

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Tecumseh, ON, Canada – Sprinkler system puts out fire caused by piece of machinery

An industrial building in Tecumseh had to be evacuated after a piece of machinery caught fire.

The Tecumseh fire department reported the blaze at 5245 Burke St. shortly before 6 p.m. on Friday and said firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke inside. Fire officials said the sprinkler system activated and quickly put out the fire.

Fire crews remained on scene at around 7 p.m. to clear smoke from the production area of the plant.

The production shift has been cancelled, fire officials said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Williamsport, PA – Fire that started inside machine contained by sprinkler activation

All employees at Lycoming Engines at High and Oliver streets in the city were safely evacuated when a deburring machine caught fire on the first floor about 10 a.m. Monday, city Deputy Chief Dave Dymeck said.

The fire activated a sprinkler that helped contain it, Dymeck said, adding that firefighters donned self-contained breathing apparatuses, entered the mammoth complex with hoses and had the fire out in 30 minutes.

Employees were allowed back in once the building was declared safe, Dymeck.

“This was an accidental fire,” he said, adding that fire damage was confined to the machine.

Second alarm companies from Old Lycoming Township and South Williamsport were called to the scene as a precautionary measure.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Franklin, IN – Fire at local business contained to storage room thanks to fire sprinklers; No injuries reported

A business in Franklin’s commercial district sustained damage in a Sunday night fire.

Franklin firefighters were dispatched to BCC Products, 2140 Earlywood Drive, on a general business alarm at 5:26 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they could not see any fire from the outside of the business, said Chuck Ridpath, spokesman for the Franklin Fire Department.

Firefighters got into the building and saw heavy smoke. After about 30 minutes of searching the building for the fire, firefighters were led to a wire rack where a gallon container of liquid was on fire, Ridpath said.

The sprinkler system in the building contained the fire to the storage room, he said, and once fire fighters located the fire, it was put out in minutes.

No one was injured in the blaze and investigators are still looking into the exact cause of the fire. The monetary damage of the fire was unknown mid-Monday morning, Ridpath said.

Greenwood’s hazmat team was called to contain chemicals that had spilled. The Indiana Department of Emergency Management is investigating what chemicals leaked, because firefighters came into contact with those chemicals, he said.

“There is no danger to the public. It is more of the guys that were there to see if there is anything that can be bad for them,” Ridpath said.

Firefighters from Bargersville, Whiteland, New Whitehead and Amity also responded to the fire. Firefighters from Needham covered Franklin’s station during the fire, he said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Watertown, NY – Sprinkler system at manufacturing facility extinguishes fire

A sprinkler system inside a Watertown manufacturing facility did its job late Wednesday afternoon and put out a small fire.

Firefighters were called to the Jefferson County Industrial Park off outer Coffeen Street to Allied Motion a little before 3 p.m.

Fire officials told 7 News a spark from equipment in a testing and quality control room set off a small fire above a drop-down ceiling.

The sprinkler system put out the fire, but firefighters had to do smoke removal.

Fire officials say damage was moderate. The building was evacuated.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

South Elgin, IL -Fire at manufacturing plant controlled by fire sprinkler activation; No injuries reported

A fire at a manufacturing plant in South Elgin caused no injuries and did not involve hazardous chemicals, fire officials said.

The South Elgin & Countryside Fire Protection District responded at 8:27 p.m. Tuesday to a report of a structure fire at Marble Works, 1601 N. La Fox St., Assistant Fire Chief Mike Rothecker said in a news release Wednesday.

Firefighters were met by two employees outside the 15,000-square-foot building who said there was a large fire inside the manufacturing plant. The employees said there were some hazardous chemicals near the fire, the release said.

Firefighters entered, saw heavy smoke and requested additional help. Fire departments from Elgin, Bartlett, Fox River Fire, Pingree Grove and Elburn assisted at the scene. Departments from Hanover Park, Geneva, Hampshire and West Dundee filled in at the South Elgin fire stations.

The fire was in the warehouse area of the manufacturing plant building, Rothecker said. The building’s fire sprinkler system was activated by the fire and contained the flames until firefighters extinguished it in about 40 minutes.

Members of the South Elgin fire district’s hazardous materials team determined there were no hazardous chemicals involved in the fire, officials said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

La Vergne, TN – Material that caught on fire at plant contained by sprinkler system

A fire was reported at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday at Bridgestone Firestone Distribution Center in La Vergne, a city official confirmed.

The sprinkler system was activated after material in the plant caught on fire, said Anne Smith, public relations officer for the city of La Vergne.

“The fire only caused minor damage to the building,” Smith said. 

Two occupants sought medical care at the nurse station at the plant, where they were treated for minor injuries.

Smith said Rutherford County EMS was called to Bridgestone, but it is unclear whether the patients were transported to a medical facility, Smith said.

No other information is available at this time. This is a developing story.