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.
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.
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.
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.
Reporting on lives and property saved by fire sprinklers
