MOUNT JEWETT – There were no reported injuries in a fire at the
Temple-Inland Medium Density Fiberboard Facility in Mount Jewett
shortly after 4:30 p.m. Friday – despite the fact that the air
quality was questionable in the plant.
Firefighters from seven departments were called to a fire at
4:39 p.m. Friday at the Temple-Inland complex that may have started
when a hydraulic line broke, according to a fire policeman on the
scene.
When the fire police first arrived, there was a lot of smoke
coming from the back of the building, but soon there was no sign of
smoke. Between about 5:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. Friday, there was no
sign of smoke, fire or any type of explosion coming from the
building.
The Kane Fire Police were stopping people at the guard house at
Temple-Inland, and those who weren’t firefighters and employees
could not go any further. The fire was in a building about 200 to
300 yards beyond the guard house.
According to a fire policeman at the scene, they were having
trouble getting in the necessary manpower to move a press that the
fire was under. Dyne Excavating of Kane came to the scene to pump
out hazardous water underneath the press.
They were also having problems putting the fire out since the
quality of air was questionable. Firefighters could only use four
tanks of air each before they had to be out of the building, and
that was why so many departments were being called to the scene,
according to the fire policeman.
The Temple-Inland Web site describes Medium Density Fiberboard
as a grainless, composite panel product manufactured in sheets of
various dimensions. The product is made from mixed hardwoods and
can be used in a wide variety of woodworking applications including
cabinets, shelving, furniture, store fixtures, moulding and
flooring.
A warning about product materials on the Web site reads, “This
Medium Density Fiberboard contains low fuming urea formaldehyde
resin and may release formaldehyde vapors in low concentrations.
Formaldehyde vapors can be potentially irritating to the eyes and
upper respiratory system.”
McKean County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Bruce Manning
arrived on the scene at about 6 p.m. It was not immediately clear
if he acting in the capacity of a Haz-Mat officer on the scene.
A truck from the Department of Environmental Protection and a
state police car showed up on the scene at about 6:55 p.m. The
police car only stayed for a few minutes.
The fire policeman on the scene said they were sending two
masked firefighters at a time into the building at about 7:30
p.m.
At about 9:15 p.m., a vacuum truck from American Refining Group
of Bradford arrived to apparently clean up an oil spill.
Truck drivers that were waiting to drop off or pick up a load
were told they wouldn’t be allowed in until 6 a.m., so truck
drivers went back to their trucks to sleep until morning.
The Kane Volunteer, Lafayette Township Volunteer, Port Allegany,
Mount Jewett Volunteer, Sheffield Volunteer, Smethport, and Hamlin
Township Volunteer fire departments responded to the fire.
The Mount Jewett Ambulance was also at the scene, and the
Clermont Volunteer Fire Department was on standby at the Mount
Jewett station.
Firefighters were still trying to put out the blaze as of late
Friday night.
The Temple-Inland Complex in Mount Jewett was the site of a
serious fire four years ago.
On Feb. 13, 2001, a massive explosion and fire tore through the
Temple-Inland Particleboard Plant in Mount Jewett, killing three
men and severely injuring at least five others.
A fire marshal found that sparks from a cutting torch ignited
sawdust in the plant. The fire worked its way into the dust
collection system allowing it to travel into collection silos. When
it traveled out of the silos through the auger, the dust around the
auger triggered an explosion.
Following the blast, Temple-Inland was cited by the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration for having wood dust levels up to
64 as thick as recommended by the National Fire Protection
Association.
In May 2001, company officials said no one had been laid off as
a result of the explosion. In July 2001, Temple-Inland laid off 47
workers because of an industry slow-down.
In December 2002, the facility underwent a $3.2 million upgrade
to flaking equipment and robot technology was added to sharpen
knives used in the flaking process.
Then in April 2003, the Particleboard Plant closed indefinitely,
displacing 120 workers. The decision was made due to weak market
conditions.
(Era reporters Marcie Schellhammer and Merrill Gonzalez
contributed to this report.)
