ORANGEBURG, SC -- June 20 -- A Tuesday morning fire at Orangeburg’s Husqvarna plant cut operations short for the day, with employees evacuating the building.
The
fire occurred around 11:01 a.m. in the plant’s powder-coating area, where lawn
mowers are painted.
“The
incident was contained to a small area of the plant and employees were safely
evacuated immediately,” Husqvarna Marketing Communications Manager Evin Ellis
said. “No injuries or casualties have been reported.
“The
cause of the fire is still under investigation.”
Husqvarna
is Orangeburg County’s largest manufacturer. It employs an average of 1,500
making riding lawn tractors, tillers and snow throwers. At its height, the
company typically employs upward of 2,300.
After
the fire, some employees were told to leave and report back to work the next
day.
Employees
standing outside during the evacuation asked to remain anonymous, saying they
did not officially know what had transpired.
“All
we heard was ‘boom, boom,’” one employee said. He can’t remember a similar
incident in his seven years at the plant.
Orangeburg
Department of Public Safety Capt. Mike Adams said the fire began in one of the
plant’s three powder-coating machines.
“When
officers got to the rear of the building, they found heavy smoke and fire at
which time they made an interior attack from the east and west side of the
building,” Adams said.
Adams
said the fire was confined to one machine, which is about 12 feet high and 40
feet long.
"There
was extensive damage to the machine and some damage to the roof,” he said. “The
fire is not suspicious.”
The
fire was put out within 40 minutes.
The
fire caused about $50,000 in damage to the machine and $50,000 to the roof,
Adams said.
The
Jamison Fire Department also responded to the fire.
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