MARION, Ind.
--
Fire raged at the old Thomson plant in Marion Tuesday afternoon, the second large fire at the facility within three years.
The fire began at about 2 p.m. after a series of explosions that were felt in the community. There were no reports of injuries.
A plume of black smoke soared high into the air and was visible for many miles around, witnesses said.
"I live a mile from there, and I see really thick heavy black smoke and some flames," said resident Richard Thomas.
The fire appeared to be under control by 3:15 p.m.
Additional information about the fire wasn't immediately available, but the facility was currently being used by TriEnda, a plastics manufacturer.
A large fire gutted much of plant in what was called the biggest blaze in Grant County history in June 2007.
That blaze consumed up to 300,000 square feet of the building.
Thomson closed the 1 million-square-foot plant in March 2004, costing the city midway between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis nearly 1,000 jobs.
The plant was the site of other troubles since salvage and renovation work began after the closing.
An explosion in August 2005 killed a salvage worker, who police said was using a blowtorch to detach a tank from the outside of the building when it blew up.
Six weeks later, construction workers mistakenly cut a live electrical line, sparking an explosion that fatally burned a worker, with the three others and a firefighter suffering less-serious injuries.
In 2008, TriEnda announced it would begin operations in the building. The company makes shipping containers and packaging materials. It was not immediately known if the company is operating in part of the facility that was burning.
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