By Michael Yoder
Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
Copyright 2006 Lancaster Newspapers, Inc.
LEBANON, Pa. — A 12-mile cloud of black smoke loomed over northern Lancaster County Wednesday morning as a portion of the former Alcoa plant in Lebanon County burned nearly to the ground.
More than 150 firefighters and fire companies from four different counties responded to the four-alarm blaze in the 3000 block of State Drive near the village of Rexmont.
Firefighters contained the fire but were still on the scene late into the night Wednesday.
The thick smoke prompted emergency officials to issue an advisory to residents of Ephrata and Lititz to stay indoors.
Farmers in Lebanon County were urged to ventilate their barns, and at least one outdoor activity was canceled at a local school.
Officials also monitored air quality but found no potential health problems.
Lebanon County Administrator Jamie Wolgemuth said the fire was reported about 8:45 a.m. in a section of the building occupied by Grosfillex, a company that makes plastic products.
Grosfillex operates a warehouse on the site. Four other businesses lease space in the 40-year-old building, located in Lebanon Valley Business Park.
By 9 a.m., parts of the structure were engulfed in flames, and a black cloud of smoke began drifting southwest toward Brickerville and Lititz, moved along by 15 mph winds.
A Grosfillex worker was able to escape unharmed, along with workers from the other businesses.
The cause of the fire had not been determined Wednesday night, but workers reported seeing an electric cable fall to the ground and ignite, according to a newspaper report.
Throughout the morning Wednesday, a steady stream of tanker trucks dumped water into 2,500-gallon collapsible pools.
Firefighters drew water from the pools because hydrants at the scene could not keep up, Wolgemuth said.
Twenty-five tanker trucks from Manheim, Mount Gretna, Brickerville and other companies were at the scene.
By early afternoon, firefighters were able to set up a fire wall to prevent flames from spreading to other parts of the building. By then, a large portion of the roof had collapsed.
A fire damage estimate was not available.
At 10:45 a.m., Lancaster and Lebanon County officials issued an advisory for people in Lititz and Ephrata to stay indoors as a precaution. The advisory was lifted at 1:30 p.m.
Officials with the state Department of Environmental Protection notified farmers in Lebanon County to ventilate their barns. They also monitored air quality in Lititz Borough and Clay and Elizabeth townships, reporting no problems.
Randy Gockley, Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency director, said the plume of smoke remained close to the ground and traveled about 12 miles from the fire.
Gockley said officials at two schools, Clay Elementary and Warwick High School, reported smelling smoke in their buildings. An after-school event planned for Lititz Springs Park was canceled because of the smoke.
A Brickerville resident said he saw hot ashes falling from the smoke, and several Lancaster County residents complained about air quality.
At least 13 Lancaster County fire companies were at the scene, and at least five others were on standby at Lebanon County stations. Companies from Berks and Dauphin counties also were called in.
Fifty-two employees of High Concrete escaped the building unharmed, said John Sandy, marketing director for High Real Estate.
High builds precast panels for building exteriors and parking garages in a 200,000-square-foot portion of the building it renovated in 2005.
Sandy said the employees will be transferred to its plant in Denver until they can return to Lebanon.
“Our people exited quickly, everyone was accounted for, and, thankfully, no one was injured,” Sandy said.
“Safety is our top concern. We drill for this type of thing, and it came into play today.”