Four Injured in Michigan Steel Plant Fire

At least four people were hospitalized in serious condition after a fire at a steel plant within the River Rouge industrial complex.

March 21, 2005

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- At least four people were hospitalized in serious condition after a fire at a steel plant within the River Rouge industrial complex Monday, a spokeswoman at Oakwood Hospital said.

Spokeswoman Beth Oates said it was not clear whether the injured people were firefighters or workers.

A message seeking information was left with a spokesman for Severstal. A Ford Motor Co. spokeswoman said the company was trying to get information. The plant previously was owned by Ford and currently is owned by Severstal, a Russian steel company. The companies share the complex in Dearborn.

The Rouge plant has been the site of several accidents in the past several years. In 1999, a Ford boiler undergoing routine maintenance exploded, killing six employees and injuring 14 others. State regulators later found 15 workplace safety violations.

In 2001, four explosions and a fire at the steel plant left two workers with minor injuries when a furnace blew and 2,000-degree molten steel spewed out.