Eaton Corp Catches Fire In Hastings
Hastings Fire Rescue responded to a fire 10 a.m., Thursday March 16 at the Eaton Corp. building, 300
E. 39th St.
Eaton has discontinued operations at its Hastings location. However, employees and contractors are still on-site to disassemble and remove various equipment. While in the process of disassembling some machinery, a plasma cutter was being used to cut and remove metal. The cutting process ignited built- up oil residues and began to spread throughout the area.
The Hastings Fire Marshal issued two citations for failure to follow a hot work permit, directly resulting in a structure fire. The automatic sprinkler system was activated during the fire and kept the fire limited until crews extinguished the fire completely. Prior to the sprinkler activation, one employee pulled the manual activation for the fire alarm so all the other employees knew to evacuate. Six employees were in the building. No injuries were reported.
This is the second time an incident like this has occurred at the facility this year. A fire occurred due to hot work on Jan. 6, 2023. The sprinkler system, along with quick actions from employees and firefighters has saved the building each time. Hastings Fire & Rescue estimates the building value at over $9 million.
For future information on hot work permit requirements, to include: welding, cutting and torch-applied roofing, please contact Hastings Fire and Rescue at 402-461-2350.
