Fire Damages Specialty Metals Plant

A fire Monday, Sept. 17 at Universal Metals Inc. in Worcester, Mass., destroyed part of the building housing the offices and operations of the company, which accepts, processes and ships out titanium-bearing and other vacuum and high-temperature alloy scrap metals.

According to a report in the Boston Globe, the fire emitted enough smoke to force the evacuation of a nearby school and several homes. The same report cited sparks caused by a forklift truck that reached titanium turnings as the cause of the fire.

There were no injuries reported among Universal Metal’s 30 employees or from others near the fire. The offices of the firm were not destroyed by the fire, although some smoke damage occurred.

The fire proved a difficult one for fire fighters to extinguish, as heated titanium can react explosively to water. The Globe reports that the burning portion of the building could not be salvaged, and collapsed after just 45 minutes. However, fire fighters were able to protect other buildings on Universal Metals’ three-acre plot, as well as all adjacent structures.

A Universal Metals employee reached by phone says the company is making plans to be operational as soon as possible, and that the company will rebuild the portion of the property lost to the fire.