Date: November 4 and 5, 2018
Location: Barnwell, South Carolina (USA)
Address: 285 Midfield Road, 29812
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Paper Dust and Lint Dust
Industry: Paper Products
Equipment: Paper Machine
Company: Orchids Paper
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Orchids Paper manufactures bath tissue, paper towels, and paper napkins for retail and commercial markets. It was established in 1976 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee with manufacturing locations in Pryor, Oklahoma and Barnwell, South Carolina.
Incident Description:
On November 7, 2018, the Augusta Chronicle reported two fires in less than 30 hours, both of them taking place at a paper plant in Barnwell, South Carolina.
The Barnwell City Fire Department responded to the first incident at around 4:00 a.m. on November 4. The fire occurred in a machine that produces large paper rolls used in other applications. It was out by the time firefighters arrived, so they only provided advice and used thermal imaging cameras to detect any hotspots. The fire caused minimal damage and paper production resumed that day.
The next fire occurred on November 5 at around 10:19 a.m. This time the fire was on the roof. Firefighters found flames on the insulation, ceiling, and walls in the mill section of the plant, and used a ladder truck and 600 feet of hose to extinguish the fire. Although repairs would have to be made, there was no major damage.
Fire officials referred to both of these incidents as ‘preventable.’ The Barnwell fire chief said that the first fire was due to paper fibre buildup in the machine, which had not been maintained regularly. Small fires had occurred in it in the past but this one was large enough to lead workers to call firefighters. The second fire was caused by a contractor using a welder during maintenance work, sparking dust and lint particles.
No injuries were reported.
Sources:
Augusta Chronicle
