Manufacturing, Manufacturing Plant Spring Hill, TN – Fire in air handler unit at GM plant contained by sprinkler system; 2nd sprinkler save at plant this year December 12, 2016 viking210 The Columbia Fire Department was dispatched to the Spring Hill’s General Motors plant Thursday after an air handler unit caught fire within the facility. Columbia Fire Department’s Engine 5 and Truck 3 were dispatched to the scene at 8:29 p.m. along with Engine 1, Truck 1 and Rescue Vehicles 1 and 3, according to an incident report from the department. A total of 17 personnel responded to the fire which occurred inside the facility’s Body Systems Building. When the firefighters arrived, the Engine 5 crew lead by Capt. Monty Band entered the structure and climbed to the second floor mezzanine to the burning unit as the team from Tuck 3 used the vehicle’s extension ladder to check the facility’s roof. Interim Fire Chief Ty Cobb said all employees had been evacuated from the building before the firefighters arrived. “There was a lot of smoke,” Station No. 5 Chief Tony Scott said. “We could see the smoke from the highway as we approached the building.” Scott said the building’s sprinkler system activated and was able to successfully contain the flames before the firefighter’s extinguished it. An estimated total has not yet been released by the department, but the firefighters reported there was minimal damage to the facility. “The guys that responded did a great job,” Scott said, crediting what he called a quick well choreographed response to on ongoing relationship between the Columbia Fire Department and the plant’s emergency personnel.
