According to Cleveland Fire Chief Steve Haun, a maintenance worker was using a grinder which sparked the incident.
No damage estimates were immediately available regarding the hopper which reportedly contained manganese oxide, an oxidizer that creates its own oxygen when ignited, according to Haun.
Commander Bobby Gaylor, who was in charge of the scene, said a series of filters inside the hopper had to be individually removed during the process to make sure the fire was out.
He said plant officials estimated damage and loss at $300,000.
Operations at the plant were shut down and personnel evacuated as firefighters worked.
No injuries were reported, according to Gaylor.
Firefighters arrived on the scene just after 1:30 this morning and eventually cleared just before 7 a.m.
- A Sony PlayStation, computer games and audio and video recordings were reported stolen from and apartment while the resident was in the hospital.
According to a report filed by officer Nathan King of the Cleveland Police Department, Angela Barbee of Lay Street said she had been in the hospital since Jan. 31.
When she returned home during the weekend, Barbee noticed her gaming system, several DVDs and CDs were missing.
According to the report, the door to the victim’s apartment was not secured at the time of the reported theft.
Barbee estimated her loss at $284.
Investigation has been turned over to Criminal Investigations Division detective Walter Mitchell.
- Tennessee Highway Patrol will be conducting Driver’s License Roadside Safety Checkpoints in Polk County beginning this weekend.
The checkpoints will be set up in random location in the county.
According to THP officials, checkpoints are an effective means of recognizing the dangers presented to the driving public, by motorists who would violate the driver’s license laws of the state.
All scheduled checkpoints are contingent upon weather conditions and manpower availability.
