Workers Evacuate Berry Global Plant During Machine Fire

Employees were forced to evacuate a Berry Global production facility in Evansville, IN on Tuesday morning after a fire ignited in a piece of machinery, local news organizations reported. 

Evansville Fire Department personnel were called to the Oakley Street facility at about 7:30 a.m.

“Crews were en route, and they were informed by maintenance personnel that this was a below-grade fire, which means it’s below the walking surface inside the plant,” Evansville Fire Spokesperson Mike Larson told the Evansville Courier-Press. “They had some belts, or a belt, which came off one of their machines. It overheated and caught fire.”

CBS News affiliate WEVV said that the belt was part of a grinding machine. Firefighters and Berry workers managed to put out the flames quickly, according to a post on Evansville Fire’s Facebook page.  

Click here for information about the upcoming International Powder & Bulk Solids Conference/Exhibition

Fire officials credited routine training with Berry staff helped crews to extinguish the fire within 15 minutes, coverage by NBC News affiliate WFIE said. No injuries were reported. 

Another fire broke out last August at a Berry Plastics plant in Solvay, NY that also led to an evacuation of workers. 

Earlier this month, Powder & Bulk Solids reported that Berry is investing $20 million to expand its capacity and capabilities for hygiene, healthcare, and specialty films in North America.During the project, the company plans improve its extrusion and printing capabilities, add capacity for the its Sof-Flex technology, and install new flexographic printing equipment.

For more news headlines, articles, and equipment reviews, visit our Equipment Zones

More Powder & Bulk Solids articles:

Foremark Boosts Triazine Capacity at Texas Plant

Conagra Commits $32M to Expand Production at Iowa Plant

GEAPS Offers Grain Facilities Planning and Design Course