Date: March 13, 2018
Location: Muskegon, Michigan (USA)
Address: 2325 S Sheridan Drive, 49444
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Metallurgic Dust
Industry: Die Casting
Equipment: Propane Tank
Company: Muskegon Castings Corp
Previous Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: $15 Million
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to their website, Muskegon Castings Corp is part of Port City Group, six integrated companies located in Muskegon which serve a variety of industries. This includes aluminum die casting and rapid prototyping.
Muskegon Castings create parts for the automotive industry including Subaru and Toyota.
Description of Dust Fire, Muskegon, Michigan:
A metallurgic dust fire in Muskegon, Michigan destroyed a foundry that employed more than 100 individuals, according to Fox17. The fire which began just before midnight on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, began near the rear of the building and when firefighters arrived, they determined that there were actually two fires moving towards each other from multiple points in the building.
Flames engulfed the 75,000 sq foot facility and firefighters were forced to take a defensive stance as walls and ceilings began to collapse.
According to the Muskegon Public Safety Director, “Fire was throughout the building. There were mass amounts of smoke. It sounds pretty horrific.”
Michigan Live first reported that it is believed that equipment malfunction produced a spark which then ignited combustibles within the plant such as oils and metallurgic dust. A spokesperson for the company later suggested that they believed the fire began when a propane tank used to melt materials malfunctioned. Whatever the case, the fire to spread quickly throughout the building.
Flames were still visible within the building at least two days after the initial event as smoke continued to stream from the building and heavy equipment was used to dismantle walls that had been damaged during the fire but had not collapsed.
No one was injured during the intense blaze as the 40 employees on-site when the fire began made a brief effort to extinguish the fire before quickly escaping. However, the damage to the plant was catastrophic and will essentially require a full rebuild which will cost the company somewhere in the vicinity of $14-$15 million. According to Michigan Live, a spokesman for the company stated that this is a “momentary blip”, that no one would lose their job and that the “it’s not even a question” that the foundry will indeed be rebuilt. He also went on to say that Muskegon Castings is “probably one of the cleanest foundries on the planet. I’m proud of that group.” He was on the scene early Wednesday morning waiting for insurance adjusters to arrive.
Sources:
Michigan Live
Michigan Live
Fox17
