Blast, Fire Reported at Indiana Steel Plant

An explosion and fire were reported at the ArcelorMittal steel plant in Burns Harbor, IN on Thursday morning, prompting a response from several area fire departments, according to coverage by local news organizations.

Company officials said the explosion occurred in a blast furnace at the site. A spokesperson said in an interview with CBS Chicago that a “stove dome failure” caused the incident and that operations at the plant were halted.

“We are thankful there are no injuries as a result of this incident. We are creating a timeline for repairs and the company does not anticipate any impact on our ability to meet customer demand,” Burns Harbor Fire Chief William Arney told The Times of Northwest Indiana.

The Times opined that videos captured of the explosion’s aftermath hint that some substantial damage was sustained, as chunks of the furnace’s interior lining are visible among the debris.  

The impacted furnace is capable of producing 2.48 million mt/yr of steel, an Argus Media report said, citing data from the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST).