Category Archives: Manufacturing

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Oxnard, CA – Sprinkler system assist firefighters in knocking down fire at manufacturing plant

A piece of equipment at an Oxnard manufacturing facility caught fire Saturday morning, summoning fire engines and two ladder trucks, officials said. The commercial structure fire was reported around 9:25 a.m. at 1400 Statham Parkway at a Haas Automation Inc. facility, authorities said. The street is in an industrial area off Statham Boulevard on the south side of Oxnard Boulevard. A sanding unit at the site caught fire, said Oxnard Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve McNaughten. A sprinkler system in the building was activated, he said. Employees evacuated the building and called 911, McNaughten said. No injuries were reported. Responding fire personnel found light smoke at the scene and were able to hold the fire to the sanding unit, he said. Six fire engines, two ladder trucks and a battalion chief, all from the Oxnard department, responded. Crews were able to knock down the fire within 15 minutes and had put it out by 9:55 a.m., McNaughten said. They remained on the scene for a time to recover smoke and remove water from the fire-suppression effort, he said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Fort Smith, AR – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at chemical facility; Blaze confined to mixing container

First responders addressed a fire that arose in a chemical environment in west Fort Smith on Friday morning. The fire, which began around 9:15 a.m. Friday, occurred at Ashland Performance Materials, 5106 Wheeler Ave., on Friday. The blaze was confined to a mixing container used to combine chemicals for manufacturing purposes, Sebastian County Deputy Director of Emergency Management Travis Cooper said. ″(From) the effort of what they were trying to do on a daily basis, unfortunately, there was a fire,” Cooper said. Cooper said the operator who was mixing the chemicals left the area “very quickly” and activated the fire alarm and sprinkler system in the facility. Members of Emergency Management and the Fort Smith Fire Department responded to the scene. Cooper said “there were no composites or components left of that chemical” from the fire. Cooper could not give a damage cost estimate for the fire.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Cleburne, TX – Paint booth fire at lighting manufacturer extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Cleburne firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm with water flow at 12:48 p.m. Thursday in the 1700 block of Hal Avenue to find a large amount of smoke exiting the building at low velocity through large roll up doors. One employee advised that the fire was in the building’s paint booth oven area. The building, about 150 foot by 600 foot, is used to manufacture and paint lighting poles and light components, according to reports. Firefighters used about 300 gallons of water but noted that the building’s sprinkler system extinguished much of the fire.

The fire remained contained to the paint booth area and caused no additional damage other than smoke and heat damage to sheet metal at the oven’s entry, according to reports. A highly flammable powder substance had been allowed to build up and get into the duct work, which resulted in a flash fire caused by heat, firefighters said of the fire’s cause. No employees were injured in the fire.

Manufacturing Plant

Providence, RI – Sprinkler system controls fire that started in mixing vat at mill

No one was hurt and no significant damage occurred when a fire broke out in a mixing vat at a Livingston Street mill building, Chief William Kenyon said.  The fire at 35 Livingston St. was confined to the mixing vat in a room where soap products were made, Kenyon said, and appeared to have been started by an inadvertent mix of substances.  The building sprinkler system came on immediately, he said, and kept the fire under control. Firefighters arrived shortly after that, since the department’s Branch Avenue station near the North Burial Ground was around the block and down the street from the building.  Firefighters ran two hoses into the building to make sure the fire was doused, he said.  No more information was immediately available.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Watertown, SD – Sprinkler system contains early morning fire at manufacturing facility

Watertown Fire Rescue crews responded to an early morning fire at the Terex-FGI manufacturing plant located at 2813 Piper Avenue on Tuesday morning.  WFR was called to the Terex plant at approximately 5 a.m. Tuesday morning after a fire had been reported inside the building. After all employees safely vacated the building, WFR crews were able to extinguish flames in one of the walls. The sprinkler system had activated and was key to keeping the fire contained to a minimal area.

Smoke and water damage to the building was extensive.  “It wasn’t your typical day for Watertown Fire Rescue,” Assistant Chief Don Rowland said Tuesday morning. “We usually don’t respond to three structure fires in one day.”  Rowland said crews were on scene for about two hours. He said there was a lot of smoke in the building and power was shut off to some parts of the plant. He wasn’t sure when Terex employees would be able to return to work but was hopeful it wouldn’t take too long. According to Rowland, the initial cause of the fire was a furnace in the wall. He did say the investigation into what caused the fire would be started this morning.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Albany, GA – Sprinkler system helps contain fire at Albany Green Energy biomass plant

Albany fire crews responded to a small fire at the Albany Green Energy biomass plant next to Procter and Gamble.

At least four fire trucks responded to the plant around 3 a.m. Thursday.

Batallion Chief Kelly Harcrow said there was a small fire in a hydraulic tank in the building. Crews quickly contained the fire and let it burn itself out, shortly after 7 a. m.  AFD put firefighters in the factory with a hose, ready to make sure everything went ok. 

Harcrow said the fire burned on the surface of the tank.

One fire truck and its crew will stay here for the day to monitor everything.

A spokesperson for the company said, “the fire resulted from an equipment failure.”

The sprinkler system inside the building helped in this emergency.

“It is not actually putting the fire out, but it is keeping it contained into the one area, which is an advantage to us and that allows the product to consume itself and not spread throughout the plant. So it’s doing what it was designed to do,” explained Harcrow.

One ambulance also responded, but Dougherty County EMS Supervisor Phillip Jackson said they have not had to transport anyone.

Harcrow said people were inside at the time but no one was injured and everyone made it out safely.

Manufacturing, Power / Energy Facility

Albany, GA – Early morning fire at biomass energy plant contained by sprinkler system

Albany fire crews responded to a small fire at the Albany Green Energy biomass plant next to Procter and Gamble. At least four fire trucks responded to the plant around 3 a.m. Thursday. Batallion Chief Kelly Harcrow said there was a small fire in a hydraulic tank in the building. Crews quickly contained the fire and let it burn itself out, shortly after 7 a. m. AFD put firefighters in the factory with a hose, ready to make sure everything went ok.

Harcrow said the fire burned on the surface of the tank. One fire truck and its crew will stay here for the day to monitor everything. A spokesperson for the company said, “the fire resulted from an equipment failure.”

The sprinkler system inside the building helped in this emergency. “It is not actually putting the fire out, but it is keeping it contained into the one area, which is an advantage to us and that allows the product to consume itself and not spread throughout the plant. So it’s doing what it was designed to do,” explained Harcrow.

One ambulance also responded, but Dougherty County EMS Supervisor Phillip Jackson said they have not had to transport anyone. Harcrow said people were inside at the time but no one was injured and everyone made it out safely.

Other - Manufacturing

Omaha, NE – Fire at industrial building controlled thanks in part to sprinkler system

No injuries were reported Tuesday night in a fire at an industrial building near South 42nd and D Streets.  Fire crews reported to the structure, which contains recycling materials, around 7:25 p.m.  Firefighters reported smoke on approach to the location.  The fire was declared under control at 7:45 p.m., thanks in part to a sprinkler system that helped contain the blaze, fire crews said.  Several employees were on location at the time of the fire, which remains under investigation, fire officials said.  The $889,300 structure sustained an estimated $250 in damage, officials said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Carlisle, OH – Dust explosion contained with help from sprinkler system

Static electricity built up caused a spark and small explosion, said Brad Wymore, director of marketing and sales at Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions. He said there were some flammable materials within the solvent-based product manufactured in the Carlisle facility. Wymore said the on-site sprinkler system was triggered, and there was a fast response from the fire departments. There were no flames at any time, but a foam used to put out the small explosion does cause some smoldering. Wymore said 10 people were inside the building at the time, but only one was in the back near the explosion.

A small explosion at Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions led to no structural damage at the business. Just a wall panel was torn off. Lt. Dustin Perry, Franklin Twp. fire, said the damage was contained to a mixing tank. He said a dust explosion caused the incident.

UPDATE @ 11:33 a.m.
A small explosion was reported inside the business around 10:30 a.m. Crews on scene report part of a wall is laying out from the side of the building.

No injuries are reported, and all employees are accounted for.

On scene were fire department crews from Carlisle, Franklin, Madison Twp., Middletown, Miami Valley, Clearcreek Twp., Franklin Twp., Germantown and the Joint Emergency Medical Service.

The company, Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions, has been located here for less than a decade.

Multiple fire crews have responded to a reported fire at a factory in Carlisle Monday morning.

Crews were dispatched around 10:30 a.m. to Mar-Flex Waterproofing and Building Solutions at 500 Business Parkway on reports of a fire and possible explosions from the building.

Manufacturing

Yorkville, NY – Fire at large printing company contained with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters Friday afternoon responded to a compressor unit fire at Vicks Lithograph and Printing on Commercial Drive.  Though there was some water damage to the interior of the building due to the sprinkler system, no injuries were reported by the New York Mills Fire Department.  “It was under control within 20 minutes,” said Mike Edwards, second assistant chief.

Firefighters at 2:45 p.m. were called to 5166 Commercial Drive. Arriving firefighters reported smoke visible. The depth of the snow deterred firefighters initially, but Edwards said everything was plowed out as it should have been. There was visible smoke in the building that would eventually dissipate, he said. However, the situation could have been worse.

“It was a good job by everybody involved,” Edwards said. “Other than the damage, it was a large manufacturing facility that could have been much worse if it wasn’t for the actions of the staff and the sprinkler system.” The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Yorkville Fire Department assisted on scene.