Category Archives: Manufacturing

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Le Mars, IA – Sprinklers contain fire after explosion at manufacturing plant; No injuries

A compressor fire shut down IML Containers in Le Mars Monday afternoon, causing an undetermined amount of damage to the manufacturer of plastic food containers. 

Le Mars fire chief David Schipper said the Le Mars and Orange City fire departments were called at 4:22 p.m. to IML, at 1620 24th St. SW in Le Mars, for a compressor that had caught fire, and what was described as an “explosion” in the building. 

IML employees stood watching as the firefighters went in and out of the building, deploying water hoses and venting the smoke. None of the employees or firefighters were hurt in the fire. 

 

“Everybody did evacuate safely, we did an accountability check, and everybody made it out of the building just fine,” Schipper said. 

The building was damaged to an unknown extent by the heavy smoke, which Schipper said came from burning oil in the compressor. Additionally, electrical and water infrastructure were damaged, and the compressor that caught fire was destroyed. 

“It’s going to be quite a while before this place is back up and in business,” he said. 

Schipper credited the building’s sprinkler system for helping to control the fire. 

“Once again, sprinklers do save a lot, they did contain the fire for us,” he said. 

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Libertyville, IL – (No Media Coverage) Fire at plastics manufacturing plant held in check by single sprinkler

** No Media Coverage – Fire Department Reported ***  Around 1029 hours on Sunday, the Libertyville Fire Department responded to an activated fire alarm at a plastic manufacturing plant. When the first in engine company arrived, the firefighter in the jump seat thought he saw smoke from the building. After accessing the building and alarm room, he crew found the sprinkler bell ringing. After opening a man door into the warehouse they noticed a heavy haze of smoke. At this time the response was upgraded to a structure fire response. The crews made entry via the north side door and found one sprinkler head activated. This sprinkler was controlling a fire that involved a plastic injection molding machine. The crews used one handline to finish extinguishment and mop up. Fire damage was contained to the machine, while other parts of the building sustained smoke and water damage. ***

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Cedar Rapids, IA – Fire at food processing plant controlled with help from sprinkler system; No injuries

Cedar Rapids firefighters responded Friday night to a dryer fire in an Ingredion facility building at 1001 First St. SW. According to a media release from the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, the call from Ingredion plant personnel about a fire in an idle dryer was received at 5:50 p.m. Firefighters arrived as a sprinkler system was triggered by the fire, according to the release.  All Ingredion employees were accounted for as they evacuated the building safely. Meanwhile, smoke was showing from the second story of the building and from an exhaust pipe, according to the release.

Firefighters entered the building where the fire was located only to find that they couldn’t put water directly on the fire due to the location of the materials in the dryer, according to the release. To work around this, a ladder truck was utilized to established a flow of water into the dryer while the dryer’s hatch was opened and the material inside was removed. As soon as the fire was extinguished the facility was turned back to Ingredion, according to the release. The release indicated that the fire damage to the facility was light and no injuries were reported.  Area Ambulance also assisted the Cedar Rapids Fire Department at the scene.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

St. Louis, MO – Sprinkler system stops spread of overnight fire at linen company

A Soulard business where three employees died after a piece of a water tank crashed through the ceiling in April was damaged by a fire overnight.

Around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to the Faultless Linen Company in the 2000 block of South Broadway.

Further investigation revealed a hopper filled with linens was hanging from a conveyor belt when it caught fire. Workers reportedly left the building Tuesday around 11 p.m., which led investigators to believe the fire started between then and 2 a.m.

The building’s smoke alarm notified the fire department of the blaze.

The building’s sprinkler system kept the fire from spreading until it could be knocked down.

No other details regarding the fire have been released.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Middleville, MI – Fire in dust collector at water heater manufacturer knocked down by sprinkler system

No one was hurt and there was minimal damage to a Middleville water heater manufacturer following a weekend fire. Thornapple Township Fire Chief Randy Eaton said the fire at Bradford White Corporation wound up not being as severe as initial calls suggested. His department remained on scene for about an hour last Sunday, June 4.  Fire crews were dispatched around 4:50 p.m. Sunday to the facility at 200 Lafayette St.   On scene, Thornapple Township firefighters located a fire, which was primarily confined to a dust collector. An overhead sprinkler system kept the flames from expanding to the roof and causing any structural damage.  Maintenance crews were working on the system at the time of the fire, and no production was underway. Eaton said less than a dozen maintenance workers were inside the facility but none were injured.  Crews from Caledonia Township and Wayland responded as backup, but weren’t needed to knock down the fire.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Rockford, IL – No injuries reported as sprinkler system keeps fire under control at fabricating company

No one was reported injured after a fire broke out overnight at the Comet Fabricating and Welding building in Rockford, according to fire officials.

Firefighters were called at 12:07 a.m. today to the building at 5620 Falcon Road after a fire sparked inside, according to the Rockford Fire Department. The first fire crews reportedly found that the building’s sprinkler system had kept the fire under control until firefighters could extinguish it.

The building was closed at the time the fire broke out and no one was inside. When the sprinkler system went off, it triggered an alarm, Fire District Chief Tracy Renfro said, which summoned firefighters.

The cause of the fire is being investigated but is considered accidental.

Renfro said the fire was “most likely electrical” and began in a wooden enclosure in the northeast corner of the building. It occurred in a 10-foot by 10-foot area, he said.

Damage was estimated at $25,000. Renfro said Comet Fabricating was open today.

Manufacturing, Paper Mill / Saw Mill

La Grande, OR – Early morning sawmill fire contained with help from sprinkler system

A fire was reported at Boise Cascade’s Mt. Emily plant at 1917 Jackson Ave. in La Grande about 4:45 a.m. Sunday. Nobody was injured in the blaze, which kept firefighters busy until about 7 a.m., according to Larry Wooldridge, chief of the La Grande Rural Fire Department.

The fire originated in some wood stored inside a Boise Cascade building and caused no structural damage, Wooldridge said. Four fire departments responded to the blaze: the La Grande, La Grande Rural, Imbler and Union fire departments. The firefighters were aided by an automatic sprinkler system at Boise Cascade, which was running when they arrived. The cause of the fire has not been determined.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Shelbyville, IN – Paint booth fire at 118 year old furniture factory contained with help from sprinkler system

A fire at a 118-year old factory in Shelbyville is being investigated. The Shelbyville Fire Department responded to a call at 12:16 p.m. of the fire at Old Hickory Furniture, 403 S. Noble St. The fire was under control at 1:06 p.m., Fire Chief Tony Logan said.  There were no injuries reported and the company’s employees were evacuated safely.  The fire started around a paint booth. No additional details were available as the investigation had just begun.  Logan said the sprinkler system was working properly, which helped control the fire.

“Sprinkler systems are designed to keep the fire in check,” he said. “Our responsibility is to maintain or support that.” He said it is “imperative” for places of business to have a functioning sprinkler system. “Like I said, sprinkler systems are designed to keep the fire in check,” he said. “It’s not necessarily designed to put it out, but if you keep it in a small, incipient stage where it produces damage, in this case, this facility will be back up and running a lot quicker, employees will be back to work, they’ll be producing their product, with no loss of revenue to them or to the city tax-wise.”

More than 20 firefighters responded to the scene. “If this had happened at 3 in the morning, it could have been a different outcome,” Logan said. “We’re fortunate it happened during the day.”  Most of the damage was inside the building, but there was some roof damage as well.  As the fire department finished putting out the fire, Logan said the investigation was just starting and the Indiana State Fire Marshal’s office may be called to the scene.   “Hopefully we’ll get some answers soon,” he said. “It’s hard to tell with some of these older structures.”  Old Hickory has been in business since 1899. It handcrafts a variety of furniture pieces, including tables, rockers, mirrors and frames, bathroom wall cabinets and bookcases.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

North Little Rock, AR – Fire in welding shop extinguished by single sprinkler; No injuries and damage minimized

*** NO MEDIA COVERAGE – Fire Sprinkler Contractor Reported ***

February 15, 2017 – In a welding shop, some stray sparks set fire to some loose combustible materials. The fire began under a balcony in the shop, and activated the sidewall sprinkler located under the balcony. The fire was extinguished by the sprinkler before any significant fire damage was done.  Both the welder and the structure were unharmed.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – Industrial machinery fire contained with help from sprinkler system

A two-alarm structure fire broke out in a Chilliwack industrial park last Friday morning. Chilliwack Fire Department crews from several fire halls were called out to Frontline Machinery Ltd at 43779 Progress Way.  Fire crews were on-scene at about 10:40 a.m. and heavy smoke could be seen venting from a window of the large industrial building.  Once firefighters gained access to the building, they were able to confirm that the sprinkler system had doused the fire.

Welding sparks that ignitied some diesel were believed to be the cause of the fire, according to a worker at the scene, and this was later confirmed by fire department officials.  “The fire is accidental and was started from repair work being done on a piece of heavy machinery,” said Assistant Chief Mike Bourdon.

A welding spark ignited some diesel fuel that had been in a storage container in the warehouse area. “Fire damage was sustained to the piece of machinery with minor smoke and water damage thorough out the unit,” Bourdon added.  They’re taking the opportunity to urge caution with this type of work.

“Chilliwack Fire Department recommends any operations involving open flames or producing heat and or sparks including cutting; welding, brazing, grinding, soldering, etc. should take proper precautions and controls prior to, during, and subsequent to all hot-work operations.”  There were no firefighter injuries.