Transformer Goes Up in Flames at S.C. Chemical Plant
Source The State, Columbia, S.C.
A Richland County chemical plant suffered a setback early this morning when a massive transformer caught fire, sending flames shooting into the sky.
Finnchem USA Inc., a chlorine manufacturer, has a large transformer behind its plant at 200 Wateree Station Road near Eastover that contains 2,200 gallons of oil, Columbia-Richland Fire Department spokesman Brick Lewis said.
Firefighters responding to a structure fire call before 2 a.m. found it was not the plant but the transformer that was aflame, the oil burning. It took two hours to get the fire under control with a combination of foam and water. Twenty-three units responded to the call and more than 40 firefighting personnel were on the scene, a precautionary measure in case the fire spread.
In the end, two cinder block buildings near the transformer suffered smoke damage, but no structures burned and there were no injuries, Lewis said.
The damages are estimated to be at least $1.5 million.
Copyright 2012 - The State, Columbia, S.C.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
