Pan Conveyer fire at Lehigh Portland Cement Company. Photo: C. Harris
Firefighters apply water to the pan conveyer line while it is moving. Note the fire extinguishers that were used by employees until fire crews arrived. The entire line is over 1000 feet long. Photo: C. Harris
The clinker silo is in the foreground. The clinker moves from the end of the kiln to the top of the clinker silo. The only thing that can burn is the lubrication and lubrication system since the pan conveyer is made of steel. Photo: C. Harris
By Lieutenant 8-2 Christopher Harris
April 27, 2012
Local 8-7. Station 8 units were dispatched for an outside fire at Lehigh Portland Cement Company at about 6:40 PM. When units responded, Station 10 (New Windsor) was automatically dispatched to assist for a fire on a conveyer belt-line used to move clinker from the kiln to a clinker silo.
Chief 8 (C. Geen) arrived and reported heavy smoke from the conveyer line leading to the clinker silo. The conveyer line (Pan Conveyer) has self lubricating systems to provide lubrication to the mechanisms that operate the conveyer line. The lubrication was actually on fire and employees had used more than 10 fire extinguisher to try to extinguish the blaze until fire crews arrived.
When Engine 81 arrived, an 1 3/4" attack line was deployed and quickly extinguished a majority of the fire. The conveyer was started by employees so that the entire conveyer could be surveyed to insure that all of the fire had been extinguished. Only about 200 gallons of water were used and plant operations continued after the fire was extinguished.
Engine Tanker 82 and Engine 101 were placed in-service on the scene since only one crew and one attack line were needed for the incident. Units cleared about 45 minutes after arrival.
