Category Archives: Manufacturing

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

Yakima, WA – Fire at packaging company controlled with help from sprinkler system

Workers at Michelsen’s Packaging Company came back to work after a fire Tuesday.  Stacks of paper two stories high caught fire in Michelsen’s basement on North 2nd Ave.  The building’s sprinkler system helped control the flames.  It took firefighters more than 10 hours to clear the scene. No one was hurt. They’re still investigating how it started.

Manufacturing, Other - Manufacturing

DeKalb, IL – Overnight fire at wood products manufacturer contained with help from sprinkler system

The fire started in a dustbin at Premium Wood Products in DeKalb about 1 a.m. Friday, authorities said. Crews from the DeKalb Fire Department responded to an alarm at the business at 436 E. Locust St. at 12:54 a.m. When they arrived, they found heavy smoke and flames near a bin for collecting dust and wood shavings, according to a news release from the fire department.

The fire activated the sprinkler system, which controlled the fire until firefighters could extinguish it, the release said. Firefighters had the fire under control after about 45 minutes and remained on scene for about two more hours to ventilate the building. Crews determined the fire was accidental. Business operations resumed fully after the fire, authorities said.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Hastings, MN – Sprinklers make the difference in challenging fire at container manufacturer

All employees evacuated safely after a fire at Twin City Container in Hastings Thursday afternoon. The fire activated the building’s sprinkler system, which helped firefighters control the blaze. “The sprinkler system made a big difference in the result of this fire,” Schutt said.

The thick black smoke was caused by some of the products within the building.  “Any time you have anything petroleum or oil based you’re going to get that thick black smoke,” Schutt said.

Due to the intensity of the fire and smoke, firefighters took a defensive strategy at first, fighting the fire from the outside. Firefighters were lifted to the structure’s roof, where they created a vent hole, while the fire was fought on the ground. Once the fire was under control, crews moved inside to finish the work.

Twin City Container takes 55-gallon drums and tanker trucks and cleans them for reuse. Hastings utility crews inspected the sanitary sewer system to make sure none of the hazardous materials on site made it into the sewer system. No hazards were found, Schutt said.

An area of origin has been identified, but Schutt said the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. He said the fire was located in the center of the largest part of the building and spread through the exhaust ductwork.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

McAlester, OK – Fire contained by sprinkler system at plastics manufacturing business

The Krebs Volunteer Fire Department also responded to a second fire was at Berry Plastics, 349 Taylor Industrial Park Road.  A fire broke out in a printing press at the business.

“I don’t know exactly how it started,” Brewer said. “The fire was contained to one of their printing presses. There were no injuries that we know of. The sprinkler system activated and our fire crews made sure everything else was extinguished.”

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

San Leandro, CA – Sprinkler contains fire at manufacturer of shielding materials

The fire was reported around 7:45 p.m. at Nelco, a lead shielding manufacturer at 1840 Williams St., according to the Alameda County Fire Department.

Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the building and called a second alarm. The fire was contained within 30 to 40 minutes, and fire damage was limited to the area of origin, due to operation of a sprinkler head.

Firefighters had difficulty entering the building due to security modifications.  No injuries were reported.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Greenville, MI – Fire at plastics compounding business quickly extinguished with help from sprinkler system

Firefighters from the Greenville Department of Public Safety responded at 5:20 p.m. Thursday to a structure fire at West Michigan Compounding, located at 1300 Moore St. in Greenville.

According to Greenville Department of Public Safety Sgt. Brian Blomstrom, during routine cleaning, a hot ember escaped into the ventilation system, starting a fire that was quickly extinguished due to a combination of the company’s sprinkler system and a quick response time from fire fighters. No one was injured.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Anderson, SC – Ductwork fire at manufacturing plant contained by sprinkler system

Officials responded to a fire at a new plant in Anderson County on Wednesday night. The plant’s state-of-the-art sprinkler system contained the fire to the ducts and fire crews were able to extinguish the blaze.

According to dispatchers, several fire departments were on the scene at First Quality Tissue on Masters Boulevard. First Quality produces ultra-premium towel and bath tissue products. Firefighters said they received the call about the flames at 7:30 p.m. and when they arrived on scene, smoke was coming out of the top of the building. Employees working in the building were evacuated. After the fire was out, fire crews allowed First Quality employees to return to the building. Officials said no one was injured in the fire.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Columbia, MO – Sprinkler system saves Quaker Oats facility

Officials are investigating a fire at the PepsiCo Quaker Oats facility in Columbia Wednesday morning. Several employees called 911 around 6:25 a.m. to report a fire in a rice cake processing machine. They attempted to put the fire out with handheld extinguishers before evacuating the building. Shortly thereafter, the building’s automatic sprinkler system extinguished the fire.  According to Columbia Fire Battalion Chief John Metz, without the sprinkler system, the fire would’ve been “devastating”.

Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant

Cleveland, OH – Fire at large commercial business extinguished by sprinkler system, Damage minimized

Cleveland Firefighters rushed to battle a blaze at InterGroup International on Wednesday morning. By the time crews arrived, the sprinkler system had already extinguished the fire.

Officials say the fire started around 5:30 a.m. as a worker was testing material to be recycled. The business is a shipping and receiving company that buys, reprocesses and sells post-industrial scrap plastics. The business is located in the 14500 block of Darley Avenue on the city’s east side.

Owner Neil Gloger says only two employees were inside at the time and evacuated safely. Gloger says there was no building damage but minor damage to supplies. He says they feel fortunate about the outcome and the business was able to reopen within two hours of the incident.

Food Processing, Manufacturing

Gloucester, MA – Fire in freezer at seafood company extinguished by sprinkler system

A Gloucester firefighter sustained what the department termed a minor injury when crews responded to a fire within a freezer at the former Good Harbor seafood location within the Blackburn Industrial Park at around 2:15 p.m. Thursday.

Chief Eric Smith said a piece of equipment fell on the firefighter’s hand and he was brought to Addison Gilbert Hospital for evaluation. The small blaze was contained within the freezer, Smith said, and a sprinkler discharged and extinguished the flame.

“The sprinkler kept it under control,” he said.  The crew was still on scene as of 5 p.m. Smith said firefighters were disassembling the freezer to make sure no flames remained inside.