W.Va. Manufacturing Plant Workers Burned in Fire

March 06--PRINCETON --

Three employees were hospitalized following a Monday morning fire at a Mercer County manufacturing plant.

The Princeton Rescue Squad transported two employees of Conn-Weld Industries, Inc. suffering from "severe burns" to Princeton Community Hospital. Both patients were later transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital, according to Chief Nelson Short with the East River Volunteer Fire Department.

The rescue squad also transported a third employee to Princeton Community Hospital in an "unknown condition," but Short was unsure if the third employee was still hospitalized or had been released as of late Monday.

M.A. Smith of the West Virginia State Police Princeton detachment said an explosion occurred when employees attempted to extinguish a machine fire at the plant.

"It was an industrial fire, not a criminal fire," Smith said. "From what I understand, a machine caught fire and ended up blowing up when employees attempted to put it out."

Emergency crews were called in to reports of a fire and explosion at Conn-Weld Industries, Inc. in Princeton at approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday. Short said employees wielding fire extinguishers had already put much of the blaze out before crews arrived on scene.

"The employees put up a heck of a battle with fire extinguishers and had it mostly knocked out by the time we arrived," Short said.

According to Short, the fire was contained by crews at approximately 10 a.m. and was fully extinguished by 10:45 a.m. The state fire marshal was called in to investigate the nature of the incident as standard procedure.

Fire crews and company officials working the scene had plastic masks covering their mouths and noses when going in and out of the building.

Conn-Weld employees were evacuated after the fire was reported inside the plant. Once fire crews were on scene, officials with Conn-Weld sent employees home for the rest of the day. Many employees left with lunch boxes in hand, getting into personal vehicles or being picked up at the company gates. The employees leaving the facility declined to answer media questions.

Marvin Shields, vice president of engineering at Conn-Weld, said it was still unknown when employees would be asked to return to work. Shields also issued a statement on behalf of the company regarding the incident.

"We have had a fire, and it is under containment," Shields said. "We have sent everyone home today. Three employees were taken to the hospital in unknown condition."

Shields declined to answer additional questions regarding the fire. It was not known how many employees were inside the plant at the time of the fire.

Assistant State Fire Marshall Scott Rodes could not release the extent of damage the fire caused to the building. Rodes said the investigation would be handed over to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Representatives from OSHA's Charleston-based office are expected to be on scene at Conn-Weld sometime later this week to begin their investigation. OSHA will issue a final report on the incident detailing the cause of the fire at a later date.

Conn-Weld Industries, Inc. manufactures vibrating screens, centrifuge machines, and screen systems for profile wire, urethane and others, according to the company website. Products manufactured by the company are used in the coal, aggregate, sand and gravel, mineral processing, food processing, corn wet milling, pulp, and paper industries.

-- Contact Kate Coil at

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