Firefighters extinguish blaze at Buzzi Unicem Sunday morning

Firefighters from seven area departments responded to an early-morning fire at Buzzi Unicem Sunday.

No one was injured and damage was mainly contained to a large, rubber conveyor, though firefighters initially faced the challenge of making sure power was off to the problem area.

Dispatched to 3301 S. CR 150 West at 5:42 a.m., Greencastle firefighters arrived 10 minutes later to find smoke emerging from two areas of the cement plant’s large conveyor — the base and the very top of the conveyor, which reaches a height approximately eight or nine stories in the air.

Crews utilize the Greencastle Fire Department tower truck to put out a fire in the overhead conveyor at Buzzi Unicem Sunday morning.

Courtesy Greencastle Fire Department

Capt. Brian Poole of the Greencastle Fire Department told the Banner Graphic that Buzzi employees at the top were fighting the fire with extinguishers, but just like a burning tire, the rubber conveyor belt was hard to get fully extinguished.

Once power was cut to the device, GFD used its aerial truck to extinguish the fire at the top, bringing it under control fairly quickly, then continuing to knock down hot spots in the rubber.

Poole noted that the belt had burnt in half and some of it fell to the ground. This material also had to be extinguished.

Others on scene helping with the effort included fire departments from Putnamville Correctional Facility, Bainbridge, Fillmore, Cloverdale Township, Reelsville and Madison Township, as well as Putnam County EMS.

In one of the buildings, the foam sprinkler system was activated to protect the structure and equipment from damage.

Poole noted that once firefighters arrived, there was not a major risk of the fire getting out of control. Instead, it was simply a matter of getting the fire on the belt completely out.

A Buzzi representative told GFD the value of the belt was approximately $30,000.

GFD units were back on station as of 7:43 a.m.