This was in the Canon City
Daily Record, July 29, 2006, online at http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/Top-story.asp?ID=4324.
Maintenance blamed for
Holcim tire fire
FLORENCE — Maintenance activity is
being blamed for sparking a tire fire at Holcim (U.S.) Inc. on Friday morning.
The fire, which was contained within a concrete pit and was
in no danger of escalation, apparently was ignited by workers installing a
safety handrail. Plant Manager Jason Morin said all proper safety procedures
were followed by the maintenance workers.
About 20 firefighters from the Florence Fire Protection District battled the
blaze. Originally called in at about 8:30 Friday morning, the fire was out by
1:30 p.m. with no injuries reported.
“The fire was completely contained to the operations where the tire
shredding was going on,” said assistant fire chief Gary McWilliams. “Holcim has
a 9- to 10-foot concrete wall around the entire pit.”
McWilliams said firefighters from Florence and Penrose responded with a
total of five engines, a “telesquirt,” a rescue truck and a rehab vehicle.
Morin said in a press release the fire involved both shredded and whole
tires stored on site as an alternative fuel for the cement kiln. Morin was
pleased with the way the event was handled by his staff and by the fire
district.
“The fire was segregated,” Morin said. “It was fully contained from the
start.”
Because the fire was contained, conditions at the plant were considered safe
and operations continued. Colo. 120 that runs through the plant remained open
to traffic. The area was been secured and access limited to the in-plant
investigation.
McWilliams estimated between 100 and 125 tons of tires were involved in the
fire. He said a “very pre-liminary” estimate of damage ranges between $150,000
and $200,000.
The fire sent thick, black plumes of smoke into the air, but the fumes
quickly dissipated and were not expected to have a lingering effect.
“I think it’s going to be a very short-term impact,” said Christopher Dann, air pollution control division public information officer with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. “There should be no lasting impact from an air quality standpoint.”