Carpet Pad Fire at Alliance Cushion Facility

Torrington, CT, May 12--Carpet padding foam stored in trailers erupted into a spectacular fire Wednesday, forcing firefighters to evacuate residents under billowing smoke that could be seen for miles. The storage trailers are owned by Alliance Carpet Cushion Inc., 180 Church St., and sit in a lot next to the company's warehouse and near Alvord Park, home to the city's popular Christmas Village. Alliance is part of Mohawk Carpet Corp., subsidiary of Georgia-based Mohawk Industries Inc. The Torrington plant is one of five Alliance plants. The others are in Ohio, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas. The fire burned intensely for almost three hours, and an eye-stinging haze from the smoke and fumes settled over the downtown neighborhood. As late as 10 p.m. firefighters were on scene dousing hot spots and flames that continued to flare. Fire Marshal Timothy Tharau said the fire was suspicious. He expected to return to the scene today to investigate the cause of the fire, which started in one trailer but soon spread to at least four others. The trailers did not have electricity and no one was supposed to be near them, Tharau said, prompting his suspicions about the cause. No one was injured in the fire, and there were no reports of firefighters or residents experiencing smoke-related breathing problems, the concern which prompted the evacuation of homes on Pearl Street. Smoke could seen from as far away as Harwinton and near Exit 45 on Route 8 south, toward the outskirts of the city. The thick black smoke turned orange as firefighters sprayed water from ladders and the ground; Torrington called for help from other fire departments. Loud pops, trailer tires bursting from the heat, could be heard from behind the smoke and flames. Spectators from throughout the city twitched their noses at the smell of burnt plastic and rubber. Most were held back by yellow police tape that closed off access to the site on Pearl and Church streets. Viki Coon was among the throng of people hanging around Pearl Street. She was driving on Water Street when she heard a bang. "It sounded like a firecracker in the distance," she said. Within minutes she was near the scene and saw the high flames and cloud of black smoke. She said she saw a pack of kids on bicycles leaving the area as she arrived. Both young people and homeless people are known to hang around the lot where more than a dozen storage trailers were packed in tightly for several years, said Mike Thill, plant manager of Alliance Carpet. It's been a problem in the past, he said. Overall, Mohawk Industries employees more than 34,000 people with reported net sales of more than $5.8 billion in 2004. It produces floor coverings, including carpet, rugs, ceramic tile and natural stone. The foam stored inside the trailers is used to make carpet padding. The Torrington plant operates 24 hours a day, with three shifts for workers. Wednesday's fire is the second time in recent years that a storage trailer on that lot has caught fire. In 2001, foam material inside a trailer was deliberately set on fire when some youths doused it with gasoline and set it on fire, Thill said. He did not know Wednesday night how much foam material was destroyed in Wednesday's fire. Once the blaze was under control shortly after 6 p.m., trucks removed several trailers from the lot to make more room for firefighters. The foam was not toxic, Thill said. City Planner Martin Connor was not certain if the trailers were legally parked on the site. Enforcement letters about trailers in that vicinity have been delivered in the past, but he did not know Wednesday night if they were sent to Alliance. Generally speaking, Connor said it's common for industrial outfits to keep trailers on their properties. Though some properties pre-date specific zoning regulations, site-plan approval typically is required to store trailers.

Related Topics:Mohawk Industries, Coverings

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