Factory fire stemmed by sprinklers

A blaze at a Colorado wood-pellet plant is all but extinguished by the automatic sprinkler system.

By Consulting Specifying Engineer Staff November 3, 2008

When a fire touched off in Confluence Energy’s wood-pellet plant in Kremmling, Colo., one early Saturday morning in October, it got hot enough to damage insulation on the roof. However, because the sprinkler system kicked in quickly, the fire was nearly contained by the time the local fire department arrived on the scene.

According to Kremmling fire chief Tony Tucker, the fire—which most likely started in the drying area—was largely contained to the plant’s internal equipment. “You can’t see any physical damage from the exterior,” said Tucker. “It looks just like it did from a week ago.” No injuries were reported as a result of the fire.

The factory opened shop in August to manufacture Eco-Flame Pellets; made from beetle-killed trees from around the state, the pellets are designed to be used in heating and renewable energy production.