Date: Fri 27-Aug-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

fire-Rand-Whitney-

Full Text:

Small Factory Fire On Edmond Road

(with photo)

A roof exhaust fan at the Rand-Whitney Container factory on Edmond Road caught

fire about 1:13 pm Tuesday, necessitating an evacuation of the building.

The cause of the blaze is unclear, said Newtown Hook and Ladder Fire Chief

Dave Ober. Insulation and debris was found lodged inside the fan, he said.

There were no injuries.

The fan, which is used to exhaust warm air from the cardboard box factory, was

destroyed in the blaze. The extent of water damage to factory equipment caused

by automatic sprinklers and fire hoses is undetermined, Chief Ober said. The

fan was located directly over a factory machine, he said.

Firefighters used high-speed fans to clear the building of smoke.

Newtown Hook and Ladder and Sandy Hook firefighters went to the scene as did

the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and police.

Chief Ober said factory operations were shut down after the fire to assess

damage.