GOSHEN — Fire caused heavy damage to a factory building located along East Madison Street in Goshen Thursday.
According to Goshen Fire Chief Dan Sink, the Goshen Fire Department received a call at around 12:08 p.m. Tuesday that smoke and flames were showing at the Gleason Industrial Products building located just to the west of the Goshen High School campus.
Bill Malone, owner of Gleason Industrial Products, said there were approximately 22 employees working at the facility at the time of the fire. Gleason Industrial manufactures weather caps, or exhaust caps, for tractors and other large industrial equipment.
“They’re the caps you see on the exhaust pipes of tractors to keep the weather out,” Malone said as he stood watching firefighters work on the east side of the building along the railroad tracks. The manufacture of the caps requires the use of large, hot-burning ovens — which according to Sink may have been involved in the origin of the fire.
“There are a lot of issues here,” Sink said of the scene, noting that he had to call in a dozen off-duty firefighters to help get the blaze under control. “We’re not sure of the cause and origin yet. Wherever it started, it got into the roof and got into the sidewalls and the sides of the oven. So, we were working in three different areas with the crews — the roof, the interior crew and the outside crews — trying to get at it.”
Malone said he believes insulation in one of the walls close to an oven caught fire. He also said the structure’s firewall construction halted the spread of the blaze.
“It couldn’t spread any further than just right here,” Malone said.
Sink said he hadn’t heard any reports of injuries either to firefighters or employees in connection with the blaze.
Still at the scene at around 1:45 p.m., Goshen firefighters had successfully extinguished most of the blaze and were working to make sure it was contained and did not spread to any other areas of the factory.
“We’ve got guys on the roof still working at pulling back roof,” Sink said. “We’ve got guys inside pulling back wall, and we’re just working to make sure we’ve got everything out before we leave.”
Local News
Related Photos
-
Goshen firefighters battle a blaze at the Gleason Industrial Products factory on Madison Street in Goshen Thursday. According to Goshen fire Chief Dan Sink, the fire was difficult to fight because it started inside a wall. SAM HOUSEHOLDER | THE GOSHEN NEWS
UPDATE: Extra firefighters called in to battle blaze at Gleason Industrial Products
- Local News
-
-
Goshen firefighter promoted
Shane McKerchie recently completed his probationary year at the Goshen Fire Department.
-
No major progress for liquor legislation
INDIANAPOLIS — When it comes to alcohol, the 2013 legislative session may be marked more by what it didn’t do to boost booze sales than what it did.
-
NWMS leaders receive music honors
WAKARUSA — For NorthWood Middle School’s departing principal, George Roelandts, his career in education is approaching a coda.
-
GMS science teacher combines love of Elkhart River, music for festival
GOSHEN – Two of Jake Miller’s passions converged as naturally as the Elkhart River does with the St. Joseph.
-
City closer to acquiring former Goshen Inn property
Elkhart County Commissioners Monday took the next step in a process that could result in Goshen officials taking possession of the old Holiday Inn property on Goshen’s south side. The move follows a similar approval by the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety May 6.
-
You should know: Tom Yoder
GOSHEN — Tom Yoder doesn’t mind getting dirty when he’s pursuing one of his favorite interests — gardening.
-
Technology speeds disaster alerts
Caitria O’Neill remembers her reaction to hearing tornado warnings on June 1, 2011. She went to the grocery store, she said, “because I live in Massachusetts, and we don’t get tornadoes.”
-
Here today and gone tomorrow
Word of changes at Navistar wasn’t entirely unexpected. More than 500 jobs leaving Wakarusa? That information was a surprise.
-
ADEC bike ride draws crowd
ELKHART — Cycling met philanthropy at Concord High School Saturday morning as approximately 250 cyclists hit the pavement to show their support for the 41st annual ADEC Ride-A-Bike fundraising event.
-
A local quake: low probability, high consequence
GOSHEN — Earthquakes in Indiana aren’t top of mind for most Hoosiers. But while the chances of a massive earthquake in these parts are slim, the damage such a freak occurrence would cause could be huge.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Pledges Urgent Aid for Tornado Victims
Raw: Aerials Show Path of Oklahoma Destruction
Raw: Widespread Destruction in Moore, Okla.
Raw: Massive Funnel Clouds in Oklahoma
Raw: Japan's WWII Atrocities Under Fire in Seoul
Voters Could Elect LA's First Female Mayor
Raw: Rescuers Pull Tornado Survivors to Safety
Oklahoma Gov: 'Hearts Are Broken' After Tornado
Raw: Walking in a Flattened Okla. Neighborhood
Raw: Rescue Workers Search Oklahoma School
Raw: Witness Describes Scene After Okla. Tornado
Raw: Aftermath of Massive Tornado in Oklahoma
Raw: House Burns After Massive Oklahoma Tornado
Raw: Tornado on the Ground in Oklahoma
Split-second Choice Ended With NY Student Dead
White House Backs 'Shield Law' for Media
Wave of Attacks Kills Scores in Iraq
Pug Life on Display at Wisconsin Festival
Company Promises to Make All Snail Mail Digital
Analyst: Tumblr Fills Void in Yahoo's Offerings
