Die Cast Machine Catches Fire At Kipp Corporation

As some crews remained on the scene of a fire at the Williamson Street Art Center, others were dispatched to the Kipp Corporation just a mile and a half down the road.
 
A caller advised there may be melting aluminum and that “water and aluminum don’t go together.”
 
Engine 5 performed initial investigations. They were informed by an employee that a die cast machine was smoking.
 
As the employee gave the responding officer specifics as to the location of the machine, firefighters gathered up as many dry chemical extinguishers from inside the facility as they could find.
 
A large amount of smoke was emanating from the electrical conduit that houses the machine's electrical wires. The conduit itself presented an obstacle for firefighters trying to gain access to the source of the fire.
 
A maintenance worker advised how to open up the conduit and also turned off the power and natural gas so firefighters could proceed.
 
Firefighters from Engine 5 and Ladder 8 were able to blanket the inside of the conduit with dry chemical powder.
 
It’s believed that the protective coating on wires inside the machine, which is roughly 50 years old, may have eroded.
 
Kipp Corp. personnel remained on scene overnight to start repairing the machine and monitor for any further problems.
 
Firefighters cleared the scene around 11:15 p.m.