Manufacturing was suspended by fire department officials at an Owens-Illinois glass plant on 10 June 2003 following a two-alarm blaze at the facility, the third multiple-alarm fire there in the past t…
Manufacturing was suspended by fire department officials at an Owens-Illinois glass plant on 10 June 2003 following a two-alarm blaze at the facility, the third multiple-alarm fire there in the past three months. The suspension was set to continue until officials were satisfied with company action to reduce the fire risk. Firefighters were called to the Owens-Illinois plant at Hayward, California at 12:16 p.m. on 10 June 2003, Battalion Chief Steve Montevago said. A second alarm was struck about five minutes later, bringing a total of 30 firefighters to the scene. Montevago said the fire ignited inside a glass melting furnace and that the flames had begun to threaten the structure itself. Firefighters used water on the molten glass and managed to bring the fire under control about an hour later. “We were able to contain the fire to that kiln area and cool down the melted glass until it hardened,” Montevago said. All employees were able to evacuate the building, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze is being investigated. The structural damage was limited because the plant“s roof and walls are made of corrugated steel, Montevago said. There was no immediate damage estimate. Fire Marshal Dean Montevago said this fire is the third blaze in the same area of the Owens-Illinois plant in the past three months. The earlier fires occured on 10 March 2003 and 25 May 2003, fortunately without causing injury. Firefighters from Hayward have responded to a total of seven kiln fires at the Owens-Illinois plant since 1996, Dean Montevago said. “It“s my opinion that it is an old facility and they“re trying to keep it going as long as they can,” Dean Montevago said. He said fire officials and company representatives have been in close contact since March 2003 but the latest blaze means the fire department will now require that the company develop a comprehensive plan to eliminate the potential for recurring fires at the facility. “The concern here is for the safety of their employees, the safety of our people who respond, and just as importantly, the safety of the people in the city of Hayward,” Dean Montevago said. The fire department is also asking that building engineers be brought in to decide whether the structure is sound and that fire prevention experts be consulted as well. The building is now disconnected from its utility lines, and operations are to remain suspended until the fire department is satisfied that problems at the facility have been resolved, Dean Montevago said. He emphasised that at this point the fire department was no longer satisfied with provisional solutions but was seeking a more reliable resolution of the problem.