Heavy smoke and outside temperatures in the 90’s hampered firefighters
efforts to extinguish a fire at Regal Industries, a manufacturer of
cellulose insulation west of Crothersville Monday afternoon.
Details remain sketchy but the Crothersville-Vernon Township Volunteer Fire
Department was called to the scene of the community’s fourth largest
employer around 4 p.m.
Heavy smoke could be seen coming from vents and the roof eaves of one of the
company’s newest manufacturing lines. The concrete block and steel building
contained heat like an oven causing blocks to crack.
Local fire fighters called for mutual aid from Jennings Townhip in Austin,
Scottsburg Fire Dept., and Grassy Fork Township in Tampico.
The fire is believed to be started by a piece of metal which went through
the manufacturing process, was heated and bagged with insulation. The bag of
insulation smoldered until the plastic wrapper melted exposing the
smoldering insulation to the air.
As of 8 p.m. Monday fire-fighters had the fire under control and were
beginning mop-up operations.
According to company executive Bob Spicer, manufacturing lines appear to be
in good shape and able to be repaired and placed back into production.
“It we lost some warehoused product. We’ll get an engineer to take a look at
the building’s structural integrity but I believe it can be repaired,” he
said.
He added that the company will stay in production starting an available
older manufacturing line.
One firefighter was sent to the hospital suffering from heat exhaustion. He
was treated and released.
Smoke pours from vents, roof and open doors ways at Regal Industries on Monday afternoon. Below, company executive Bob Spicer explains to local Fire Chief B.J. McLain the positions of equpiment in the manufacturing line and warehouse. Firefighters were hampered by heavy smoke and high outdoor temperatures.
