Raw Video: Company Says Business as Usual after Fire at Factory with Chemicals
MILWAUKEE - After a fire at a metal finishing shop with dangerous chemicals just north of Downtown Milwaukee, the company that owns the location says it is operating normally.
The Milwaukee Police Department Fire Investigation Team was investigating the damage from the two-alarm fire.
Milwaukee Fire Department crews and hazmat teams came to the scene of the fire, which happened at Artistic Plating on the corner of North 4th Street and West Cherry Street, north of Downtown, at about 1:40 a.m. Thursday morning.
The company does electroplating and metal finishes. They use lots of chemicals, including acid.
Fire came out of the roof vent, while smoke came out of all the doors and windows of the one-story building.
Firefighters were concerned with what they were breathing as the fought the fire, due to the present chemicals.
"It's in the part of the building where they do this acid bath process, and there are large vats of that with ventilation system that comes off that, and its all melted in there," said Deputy Fire Chief Randall Zingler.
He explained that crews were quickly able to put out the fire. No one was hurt during the fire, and there were no workers inside the building when fire and hazmat crews arrived.
Zingler said there was significant damage to the inside of the building, and that the company would not be able to operate for "a while."
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