Chemical reaction causes fire in Elkhart factory

ELKHART, Ind. – The Elkhart Fire Department was dispatched to a fire alarm that was set off at Altec Engineering in Elkhart Friday around 230 p.m.

Upon arrival, fire crews found heavy smoke throughout the building.

Once EFD made entry, they found a fire inside a trash hopper and up the east wall and the ceiling.

The flames were quickly extinguished. The building took considerable time to clear the smoke due to the size of the building.

The trash hopper contained fiberglass resins that caused a chemical reaction and combustion, starting the contents on fire and burning the wall up to the ceiling.

The sprinkler system was activated and contained the fire until EFD arrived.