Wheatland fire Chief Bob Taylor said first responders got the call September 24 at 5 a.m. to a fire at the tube plant after workers were cleaning machinery that collects zinc dust at Wheatland Tube Co.
The fire started in an area where zinc dust collects when it’s being used to coat pipe. Employees were cleaning machinery designed to collect the zinc dust when the fire broke out, Taylor said.
Not only were there no injuries in the incident, the facility did not suffer major damages. Firefighters cleared the scene at 9 a.m.
Since the fire involved zinc dust, Taylor said firefighters had to use dry-chemical extinguishers instead of water to extinguish some of the hot spots in the zinc dust. Zinc dust reacts chemically with water to produce heat and flammable hydrogen.
Most of the fire was already extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, because Wheatland Tube already has safety measures in place, including dry-chemical extinguishers.
“They work with it all the time,” Taylor said of the employees.
Firefighters checked areas such as a conveyor belt and the roof trusses where the dust could collect to look for hot spots.
Since zinc dust is “fairly heavy,” Taylor said the dust didn’t travel far from where the fire started and there was only minor damage at Wheatland Tube, such as wires or lights that may need replaced. Otherwise, business at the plant was uninterrupted.
Taylor said Wheatland Tube’s safety measures, such as equipment and employee training, was a “blessing” in preventing more damage or potential injuries.