A fire in one of the cooling towers of the New York Wire Cloth Hanover Division closed Middle Street for several hours and brought out firefighters from five fire companies this morning.
The fire was inside a corrugated metal tower in a part of the factory between Middle and East Walnut streets, and smoke was billowing from the structure as firefighters arrived just before 8 a.m.
Flames were shooting from two chimneys at the top of the tower, said Hanover Fire Commissioner James Roth.
It appears a screen that was going through a treatment process broke as it was traveling up the tower, Roth said. Likely, the screen fell on top of one of the burners in the tower and caught it and dust on fire, he said.
No one was injured and workers were able to go back into the plant while firefighters were working to contain the fire. Because the fire got into insulation in the metal walls of the tower, firefighters used an air chisel to cut into the metal, said Hanover firefighter Frank Duck.
Aside from Hanover, fire companies from Penn Township, Pleasant Hill, and Porters Sideling in York County responded, as did United Hook and Ladder from Adams County.
This is the second time firefighters were called out to a fire at the facility in just more than a week. Firefighters responded to an alarm at 3:08 a.m. Nov. 30.
Units were being placed in service by about 10:45 a.m.
Story and Photo from the Hanover Evening Sun.
Additional Photos from WGAL.com