Buena Park : Molten Metal Starts Fire at 7-Up Bottling Plant
A piece of molten metal that flew from a welder’s iron into a vat of plastic filters triggered a two-alarm fire at the Buena Park 7-Up bottling plant Wednesday morning, but damage was minimal and no one was injured, Buena Park Fire Chief Don Tulley said.
About 30 firefighters, six engines and two trucks brought the fire under control in 10 minutes, leaving the Orangethorpe Avenue plant with little, if any, structural damage, Tulley said. He did not have an estimate on the damage to bottling equipment. About 40 employees were evacuated immediately and sent home for the day to avoid inhalation of toxic smoke from the filters.
Tulley attributed the lack of damage to the plant’s sprinkler system, which kept the 10:30 a.m. fire from spreading while firefighters from Buena Park and Fullerton were en route to the scene. They arrived one minute after the fire was reported, Tulley said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
