No hazardous, radioactive materials released in small fire at Manufacturing Sciences

 

Note: This story was updated at 11:33 a.m.

There were no injuries, and no hazardous or radioactive material was released in a small fire at Manufacturing Sciences Corporation on South Illinois Avenue on Monday morning, officials said.

The was reported in a dust collection system of an oxide processing area at Manufacturing Sciences at about 9:30 a.m. Monday.

“All non-essential personnel were evacuated from the building, and the fire was quickly contained,” said Jeff Jansen, Manufacturing Sciences vice president and general manager. “During this time, the facility maintained negative ventilation, and no hazardous or radioactive material was released to the public.”

About 40 people were evacuated, said Tim Waddell, Manufacturing Sciences business and facilities operations manager.

The fire was reported out by 10:04 a.m. There is a sprinkler system inside the dust collector, and no fire was reported outside that system.

There are operations involving low-level radioactive materials inside the building. But there is continuous air monitoring and negative air pressure inside the building, meaning nothing should leave.

Manufacturing Sciences is a specialty metal manufacturing facility. It processes specialty metals that include depleted uranium and tungsten, for example.

The sprinkler system appeared to work as expected Monday.

“We talked to the fire chief,” Jansen said. “Everything appeared to work as designed.”

The cause of the fire, which produced some smoke, hasn’t been determined.

The company said it wasn’t clear if operations would resume today in the back of the building, where the fire occurred, but they could resume elsewhere.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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