Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Greenville, NC – Afternoon fire at boat manufacturer extinguished by sprinkler system January 24, 2017 viking210 Multiple fire and rescue units responded to a fire at Grady-White Boats on Martin Luther King Jr. Highway in Pitt County Monday afternoon. The call came in around 3:45 p.m. for reports of heavy smoke coming from the building, and the staff was forced to evacuate. Greenville Fire and Rescue, along with the Staton House Fire Department, responded to the scene, but the sprinkler system had already put out the fire. “We had a small fire in our small parts area,” said Mark Doggett, who works at Grady-White. “It was contained very quickly by our sprinkler system. We evacuated all of our people because there is some smoke. Everyone is accounted for. Everybody is safe. Now, we just need to get the smoke out of the plant, get things cleaned up tonight, and get back to work tomorrow.” Minimal damage is expected but the staff has not been able to return inside because of the smoke. Staff are expected to be allowed back inside Tuesday at 7 a.m.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Rothschild, WI – No injuries as sprinkler system contains electrical fire at Domtar plant January 18, 2017 viking210 A backup boiler is to blame for a small electrical fire at Domtar’s Rothschild plant Monday morning. Crews from SAFER, Riverside, and Kronenwetter fire departments were called to the scene shortly after 9:30 a.m. Plant general manager Kathy Collins said the departments were called after the buildings fire alarm and sprinkler system were engaged. The building’s utilities and natural gas were shut off prior to the emergency crew’s arrival. Riverside Fire District Co-Chief Robert Bowen said the fire was contained when crews arrived. It took crews around 20 minutes to secure the scene and identify the cause of the fire. Yearly in-house visits to large plants like Domtar help emergency crews better prepare for incidents, and keep crews safe, should they occur. They map entrances, exists, sprinkler systems, and potential hazards. “When we train here, we can have that knowledge first hand, and it kind of puts us ahead of the game when it comes to responding to a potential incident,” Bowen said. There were no injuries and only minor damage reported. Collins said the building would be operational again in a matter of hours.
Food Processing, Manufacturing Russell, KS – Grain dust fire at gluten plant extinguished with help from sprinkler system January 1, 2017 viking210 A minor explosion and small fire occurred early Wednesday afternoon at White Energy’s gluten plant in Russell. Russell City Firefighters responded to the fire at about 12:45 PM Wednesday. The Russell Police Department also responded for traffic control. According to Fire Chief Shane Preston, the blaze was mostly extinguished by the facility’s sprinkler system, but firefighters had to put out a few hot embers. Preston said the fire started when a piece of equipment in a grain bin overheated. It caught some grain on fire, the fire mixed with grain dust and caused a flash fire, which was the explosion. The blaze was contained to the grain bin. The incident is still under investigation. There were no injuries.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Elysburg, PA – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at packaging manufacturer December 31, 2016 viking210 An Elysburg business was saved Tuesday morning thanks to a sprinkler system that worked to perfection, according to Elysburg Fire Chief Dennis Kroh. Polar Tech, which manufactures packaging materials, ice packs and shipping containers, was the scene of a Tuesday morning fire that saw more than 75 firefighters and emergency responders from 10 fire departments covering three counties rush to the structure located along Route 487 at around 7:05 a.m., Kroh said. The fire began in a storage area behind the plant but the sprinkler system kicked it “just like it was supposed to,” Kroh said. “I truly believe without the system in place the fire would have continued to spread and it would have been a total loss.” “The sprinkler system worked exactly as it was supposed to and gave us time to get there and get inside.” Kroh said the fire was tricky because it started in an area where there were several items stored which made it hard for firefighters to locate the exact spot in which the spark occurred. Soon after 7 a.m., at least 30 employees were evacuated and were not allowed back into the structure for several hours. The fire lasted about 45 minutes and Kroh said the blaze was contained to one area and that nothing was damaged inside the production area. Kroh was thankful for the efforts of the firefighters and said Mother Nature also played a part in avoiding a disaster. Temperatures on Tuesday morning were near 50 degrees. “It’s always better when it is not so cold out,” Kroh said. “We got lucky with the weather and everyone did a great job.” Polar Tech purchased part of the former Fleetwood complex in Ralpho Township in 2011. Kroh said he was unable to determine a dollar amount in damage and has ruled the cause of the fire as undetermined at this time. Fire crews from Elysburg, Shamokin, Stonington, Coal Township, Kulpmont Mount Carmel and Atlas in Northumberland County, Catawissa from Columbia County and Danville and Mahoning Township of Montour County all assisted at the scene.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Waterville, ME – Factory fire controlled with help from sprinkler system December 31, 2016 viking210 An early morning fire at the Huhtamaki factory resulted in an evacuation and partial road closure Monday morning. No one was injured in the fire. Waterville Fire Department Capt. Shawn Esler said they received the call around 7:30 a.m. on Monday for a large fire at the mill on College Avenue, where they responded with the assistance of the Fairfield Fire Department. Upon arrival, he said they discovered a large fire on the dryers requiring firefighters to deploy on the mill’s roof. Esler said two ladder trucks were committed to reach the roof line, and a crew of about 20 firefighters responded. “The fire was contained to that area,” Esler said. “We had a very, very quick knockdown.” The cause of the fire at this time is unknown, Esler said. Crews were at the mill for about four hours, and Esler said most of that time was spent ensuring there was no extension of the fire to other portions of the mill. Esler said several Huhtamaki employees were in the building at the time of the fire and were evacuated. A portion of College Avenue was shut down to allow the ladder trucks enough room to get firefighters onto the roof of the building. Esler said the Waterville Police Department assisted by directing traffic. Two papermaking machines were damaged by the fire, and Esler estimated the machines would be repaired by the end of the day Monday. The employees were back in the building before noon. The fire department responds to a number of calls annually to Huhtamaki, but Esler said this one was a little larger than most they respond to because it involved firefighters going onto the roof. However, outside of the damage to the papermakers, Esler said there was no structural damage and no injuries to either employees or firefighters. He said the building’s sprinkler system activated, which also “significantly reduced the fire load.” Esler commended everyone’s knowledge of the mill and safety precautions, saying the firefighters did a good job quickly responding to the fire. “The guys did a great job,” Esler said. “I can’t say enough about them.” Representatives from Huhtamaki were not available Monday for comment.
Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill Kaukauna, WI – Fire in ventilation system at paper mill knocked down by sprinkler system December 23, 2016 viking210 The Kaukauna fire department responded to a fire at a paper mill overnight. Fire crews were called around 3:30 a.m. Sunday to Expera Specialty Solutions on the 600 block of Thilmany Road. When crews arrived, the sprinkler fire system had knocked down most of the fire. Firefighters found fire and heavy smoke in the ventilation system and was able to extinguish the fire quickly. The fire started in the ventilation system, according to the Kaukauna Fire Department. The fire was extinguished by 4 a.m. There were no injuries. There is minimal damage to the building.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Plymouth, IN – Sprinkler system helps prevent damage from fire at fiberglass shop December 20, 2016 viking210 Employees at a manufacturing business in Plymouth are cleaning up after a fire in the fiberglass shop. Firefighters aren’t sure exactly what started it but employees at AK Industries say it was probably the chemicals used to make resin for the fiberglass. Those chemicals made for some thick, black smoke. Employees won’t be able to go back to work till the building is aired out. The fire chief says a sprinkler system prevented worse damage. “The fire was not out all the way. We went in and finished up with the sprinkler system could not get. So you know in a tight corners and crevices and things that we can’t reach we had to go in and dig it out,” said Plymouth Fire Chief, Rod Miller. “I thought the whole building was going to catch on fire. You know, this is where we work and it’s almost Christmas,” said steel grinder, Guadalupe Sanzhez. The building is in pretty good shape. Employees say they think they’ll be back to work soon.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Kalamazoo, MI – Fire at aluminum alloy plant contained with help from sprinkler system December 15, 2016 viking210 Firefighters rushed to put out a fire in the basement of a Kalamazoo county business over the weekend. The Comstock fire chief says a hydraulic press caught fire at Kaiser Aluminum Sunday morning. That is part of the Mid-Link complex on Cork Street. The fire caused a leak in the hydraulic line, which lead to fluid leaking on hot aluminum and catching fire. A sprinkler system went off, which helped to keep the fire under control. One piece of equipment was affected but no one was hurt.
Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Salisbury, NC – Fire at carpet padding manufacturer controlled with help from sprinkler system December 14, 2016 viking210 Fire officials say a sprinkler system helped squelch an overnight fire at a local carpet padding manufacturer. Multiple fire agencies responded to the fire after receiving a call around 9:20 p.m. Sunday at Walk-On Products Inc., 1170 Chuck Taylor Lane, located off Peeler Road. The fire was dispatched as a fire alarm. City Fire Marshal Terry Smith said the reason for the three-alarm fire was because the building is so big they needed more resources. He added that the sprinkler kept the fire in check, but it also created so much smoke that it made it a little difficult for fire personnel who were inside the structure. The sprinkler also helped contain the fire to one area of the building. The building is large, Smith said, but the fire was only in a small portion of it. Smith said he and another fire investigator would likely spend much of the day at the business as company personnel use forklifts to remove a lot of carpet foam before fire investigators can go inside. The last time employees were inside the building was Friday, Smith said. The fire was under control around 1 a.m. No injuries were reported. Fire officials say there was minor damage to the structure. The cause has not been determined. The company rebonds carpet padding, supplies carpet padding for homes, commercial properties and the automotive industry, according to its website. The company also manufactures cow mats, archery targets, foam buns and other foam products. It was founded in 2002.
Other-Government/Military, Power / Energy Facility Hibbing, MN – Sprinkler system assists crews in extinguishing conveyor fire at power plant December 14, 2016 viking210 A fire at the Hibbing Public Utilities Power Plant caused $70,000 in damage on Sunday. According to Hibbing Fire Marshal Bryan Fagerstrom, the blaze broke out at the top of a 5-story conveyer belt on the bio-mass side of the power plant just after 2:30 p.m. “The conveyor carried wood chips to a loading area to be burned for steam generation,” the press release said. It was equipped with a sprinkler system which assisted in controlling the fire. Crews from Hibbing, Chisholm and Keewatin remained on the scene for several hours to ensure all the hot spots were extinguished. No one was injured. The fire appeared to have been caused by a bearing failure on the conveyor belt.
