Ishpeming, MI, January 19--A fire in a silo at the Robbins Inc. flooring mill kept more than two dozen firefighters on the scene for nearly 12 hours in bitter cold Monday according to the Detroit Free Press.
The cement silo was one of two that contains leftover wood material used as fuel at the plant. Sparks from a machine apparently got into the structure and ignited the fire, said Brian Gleason, the Ishpeming fire marshal.
The silo, more than 50 feet tall and about 15 feet in diameter, was completely full of wood material, mostly sawdust. A sprinkler was able only to extinguish the smoldering material near the top, and eventually the fire blew off hatches near the bottom, Gleason said.
The Ishpeming department initially responded with 22 firefighters and two pumpers, and a total of 29 firefighters were at the scene from around 9 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Plant workers and firefighters spent the day in below-zero temperatures.
No other structures at the plant were endangered, Gleason said.
Robbins makes strip hardwood flooring and sports surfaces and employs about 100 people, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
