Jasper firefighters battle fire and ice at Jasper Rubber

ByMatthew Crane Reading Time: 3 minutes
Photo provided by the Jasper Fire Department
Photo provided by the Jasper Fire Department

Jasper firefighters battled super-heated flames while contending with freezing gear when a dust bin collection system at a Jasper Rubber plant caught fire Thursday evening.

The fire at Jasper Rubber Plant No. 3 on West First Avenue was reported to Jasper Dispatch at about 9:51 p.m. Firefighters were on scene moments later.

According to Jasper Fire Chief Kenny Hochgesang, when he arrived flames were shooting about 20 feet into the air from the 28-foot-tall stack on the dust collection unit and the unit was in flames as well.

“Our thermal cameras were showing 1,200 degrees right before the unit entered the building,” Hochgesang said. “We had to deal with that first so it wouldn’t enter the building.”

Photo provided by the Jasper Fire Department
Photo provided by the Jasper Fire Department

Too hot for firefighters to attack close up, the responders used a ladder truck and water cannons to douse the unit to lower the temperature and keep the fire from spreading. Juxtaposed to the hot fire, the cold temperature last night froze the nozzles and wet gear as firefighters battled the blaze for over two hours.

“We had to deal with ice on the road, ice on the helmets, ice on the gear,” Hochgesang said. “We had ice everywhere and a couple of nozzles were starting to freeze up because of the temperature.”

Collecting water from the fight froze on the street and parking lot so the Jasper Street Department was called to the area to deliver salt so firefighters would have better footing.

Five trucks and 35 firefighters responded to the call and were on scene for about 2 hours. The employees of Plant 3 were evacuated but were able to return to the plant after firefighters got the fire under control.

Hochgesang said he didn’t know what caused the explosion and fire. “Their maintenance will have to see how much damage they have and where the explosion was at,” he said. “I am sure the damages are extensive.”

Hochgesang said a neighbor who had previously served as a volunteer firefighter with the department reported hearing an explosion and seeing the flames.

Hochgesang said he also heard an explosion from his nearby home about 20 minutes before the call came in about the fire.

There were no injuries reported in the fire.

Firefighters responded to the plant again early in the morning for another alarm, but it turned out to be an unnecessary call.

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