Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Salem, VA – Overnight fire at tire manufacturer controlled with help from sprinkler system April 9, 2017 viking210 A fire at Yokohama Tire Corp. in Salem early Friday morning damaged part of the facility. Salem Fire & EMS went to the building in the 1500 block of Indiana Street about 2 a.m., according to the department. All employees inside the facility were safely evacuated. The fire started at a mixer machine in the plant, according to a statement from the company. The sprinkler system was triggered. The type of rubber that caught fire causes a lot of smoke, the company said. The first crew arrived within six minutes of the call and found heavy fire coming from one side of the building. The two-alarm fire also required assistance from Roanoke Fire-EMS and Roanoke County Fire & Rescue. The first firefighters on scene were able to get the fire under control within about 30 minutes. The fire was contained to one part of the building, which sustained significant damage from the fire. Damage from the fire required extensive salvage and overhaul operations. An estimate of the damage was not available Friday morning. The plant was shut down at 4 a.m. and most areas of the plant resumed operations Friday morning, the company said. About 32 people from fire and rescue agencies responded to the call. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Salem plant manufactures passenger, high-performance and light-truck tires and is one of Salem’s largest employers.
