MILLWOOD - A recently opened plant in Jackson County suffered minor damage from a fire Wednesday evening, according to officials.
The Armstrong plant on W.Va. 2 in Millwood had a fire Wednesday around 7:30 p.m. The Ravenswood, Ripley and Cottageville volunteer fire departments responded to the call.
Cottageville fire Chief Mike Morrison said the blaze was a small metal spill.
"There was some minor damage to some wires," he said. "It did not appear to be any structural damage."
Morrison said some boxes caught on fire, but again, damage was limited.
Jennifer Johnson, senior manager of corporate communications and public affairs for Armstrong World Industries, said the plant was performing a routine operation when an equipment failure occurred.
"The plant was performing a routine operation last night when a piece of equipment failed to stop the flow of molten slag, which is a key ingredient in mineral wool," she stated in an email.
Johnson said the slag caused a minor fire that was quickly brought under control and caused no damage. No one was hurt and employees reported to work as scheduled to assist with cleanup and assessment, she said.
"The fire was contained quickly and we stuck around to make sure there was no extension into things," Morrison said.
Johnson said officials do not yet know the extent of the damage caused by the molten slag but expect to have a better sense soon.
Armstrong's Millwood plant produces mineral wool, a raw material for the company's ceiling tile. The plant, which employs about 45, opened this year.
"We appreciate the rapid response and support from the local fire departments and our internal teams who acted safely and responsibly," Johnson said.
