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Shelbyville - One firefighter was injured and the mayor declared a state of emergency for Shelbyville due to a huge industrial fire at the Knauf insulation plant in Shelbyville. Schools and restaurants are closed because of a city-wide boil order.
The fire began before 3:00 a.m. Friday. Some employees were in the complex at the time, but officials say all got out safely.
By noon, the fire had been burning for around ten hours and firefighters appeared to have it under control. They were still putting out some hot spots, and smoke still poured from the building. But that was in sharp contrast to what they had to deal with when they arrived earlier Friday morning.
Seven fire departments from surrounding communities assisted. Crews from Johnson, Decatur and Hancock Counties are bringing in additional equipment and water hauling trucks.
Billowing smoke and flames
Smoke and flames billowed from Plant One when firefighters arrived at the scene. At first, they tried to keep the fire under control by taking a defensive mode from inside the building. But firefighters were caught in a flashover, an explosive burst of fire and heat. One firefighter was injured.
"When the flashover occurred we immediately made the call to evacuate all of our people out of the building and decided to fight the fire from the perimeter of the building," said Chief Todd Anderson, Shelbyville Fire Department.
The injured firefighter was treated at an Indianapolis hospital and released.
Water problems
Shelby County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lieutenant Dave Fisher said fire hydrants were frozen when fire crews first arrived. The huge amounts of water required to put out the fire were difficult for firefighters to control in the freezing temperatures.
Even after dealing with the frozen hydrants, the city system was unable to supply all the water firefighters needed. The city's water towers have been depleted and water tanks are being brought in. Shelbyville's mayor Scott Ferguson said firefighters used a day's supply of water to fight the fire.
School closures and boil water order
Shelbyville schools closed Coulston Elementary School due to the fire, and all other Shelbyville schools are closed Friday because they have no water pressure due to the fire. The high school and middle school is dismissing at 11:00 am.
A boil water has been issued until further notice for Shelbyville due to the drop in water pressure because of the fire. Restaurants are also closed due to health concerns related to the water pressure drop.
The boil water order will remain in effect for 12-18 hours after the fire is finally out. A boil water order means residents should boil water for five minutes before drinking it or using it for cooking. Tap water is okay for washing or bathing.
There are reportedly no environmental hazards from the fire. IDEM is on the scene conducting tests. The fire occurred in an area used for offices, not manufacturing.
Lt. Fisher said the plant was one of the oldest standing structures in the county, dating back to the 1800's. The Shelbyville Fire Department initially had trouble locating the fire due to false ceilings and walls resulting from new construction at the site. According to the company's website, Knauf began a more than $200 million renovation of the plant in 2005.
Area's largest employer
Knauf is the area's biggest employer, with some 800 employees. The complex covers six city square blocks and about one-fifth of the property was involved in the fire. Its impact is so great that everyone in Shelbyville either works there, has a relative or knows someone working there.
"It's tragic. It's gonna put a lot of people out of work for a while, maybe a couple of weeks. Who knows?" said Danny DeWitt, Knauf employee.
Courtesy WTHR-TV
