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A serious fire at Wirerope Works Inc. on Maynard Street that could have had catastrophic consequences was discovered just in time Friday afternoon by employees who promptly called the city fire department.
"Employees happened to look up at the ceiling and saw the fire," city fire Platoon Chief Sam Aungst said.
The fire was reported in one of the plant's large buildings at 100 Maynard St. about 2:45 p.m. Although nothing was visible when they arrived on the scene, firefighters saw fire in a small section of the ceiling once they entered the structure, Aungst said.
Flames began spreading along the ceiling when firefighters first started to get water on the fire, he said. Crews worked the next 25 minutes to get control of the situation, which ended up damaging a 4×15-foot section of the ceiling.
Investigators have determined that the cause of the fire was accidental and electrical in nature, Aungst said. Repairing the ceiling as well the expensive electrical equipment that sparked the fire was expected to cost an estimated $150,000, he said.
The fire was caused by a piece of electrical equipment -- located on an elevated platform -- that apparently malfunctioned, Aungst said. Heat and sparks from the equipment, just a few feet from the ceiling, set the fire, he added.
Work at the plant could resume Monday as officials ended up using alternative electrical resources in the impacted building, he said.
While city firefighters were busy at Wirerope, a chimney fire broke out at a home at 1212 Monroe Place, near Grier and Louisa streets, about 3 p.m. Montoursville volunteer firefighters and seven off-duty city firefighters responded to the house and put out the fire, which had extended to a partition before being extinguished.