More than a dozen fire departments were called to the Saint-Gobain Containers glassmaking factory on 1 May 2009 when one of the glass meting furnaces began leaking.
There was no fire at the facility,…
More than a dozen fire departments were called to the Saint-Gobain Containers glassmaking factory on 1 May 2009 when one of the glass meting furnaces began leaking. There was no fire at the facility, said company spokeswoman Gina Behrman. However, due to the high temperatures required for molten glass, the leak resulted in the release of smoke and steam inside the facility. It was going to take a lot of water to get it cool, said Farrel Wells, the city“s assistant fire chief, as firefighters pumped thousands of gallons of water into the factory, which Wells described as hot and steamy. The heat inside the glassworks was so high that firefighters rotated in and out every 10 to 15 minutes. Molten glass from the leaking furnace drained to the basement and firefighters were worried that the structure supporting the leaking furnace might collapse. There were, however, no injuries. The plant management is currently reviewing the situation and is taking the appropriate steps to begin to repair the damaged furnace, Behrman said in the afternoon of 1 May. The plant does have another furnace inside the facility that is currently in full operation. Behrman also said that the furnace that leaked had been inspected only a month before and no sign of leaks had been found. Saint-Gobain Containers is the second-largest glass container maker in the US with 13 plants that manufacture containers for the wine, beer, beverage, spirits and food-container markets.