Columbus firefighters battled an early morning industrial fire at Nikkei MC Aluminum America Inc. in bitterly cold temperatures.
Firefighters were sent to the manufacturing facility at 6875 Inwood Drive at 3:32 a.m. Tuesday after an employee saw flames inside the plant and called 911, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
Nikkei MC Aluminum America, Inc. (NMAA) is a secondary aluminum manufacturer who supplies aluminum alloys to the die-casting and gravity-casting industries.
The fire was reported by an employee who saw flames within the facility and called 911, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman.
All 10 employees who had been inside the building had evacuated prior to the firefighters’ arrival, Wilson said.
Firefighters found heavy smoke and a sprinkler system that had activated as they made their way into the interior of the smelting facility, Wilson said.
When inside, they discovered there were actually two fires in the facility, one located overhead and another in a dust collector on the exterior of the building, Wilson said.
As additional firefighting crews arrived on the scene, Nikkei company representatives cautioned the firefighters about applying water to the smelting furnace and associated machinery, Wilson said.
Firefighters asked Nikkei officials to turn off the sprinkler system before proceeding.
With the sprinkler system off, firefighters observed smoldering material on several steel I-beams overhead in the manufacturing facility. The material was a collection of dust and particulate matter that had ignited, Wilson said.
Company representatives told firefighter the fire originated near an afterburner furnace, which limits the amount of unburned pollution material being expelled into the atmosphere, Wilson said. Heat and flames spread to a collection of dust within the facility, causing several spot fires near the interior ceiling of the plant. A dust collector was also on fire, Wilson said.
Firefighters went to the roof of the facility and learned it was clear of fire.
At about 5:25 a.m., firefighters reported that the fire was under control, Wilson said.
With a few spot fires still located on the steel beams overhead, company maintenance crews used an articulating boom lift to access and extinguish the remaining smoldering materials. Wilson said.
Columbus firefighters turned the facility back over to the company at 5:47 a.m., Wilson said.
A total of 13 Columbus Fire Department units responded to the fire, which included four engine companies and two rescue companies. The remaining seven units were command and support staff.
Wilson said no damage estimate was available and the fire was ruled accidental.
Assisting at the scene were the Columbus police, Columbus Regional Health ambulance, Duke Energy and Vectren.
