Flames damage part of Koneta rubber plant

Operations shut down temporarily at the Koneta rubber plant Tuesday night after a fire forced an evacuation and caused damages.

No one was injured, but the fire, at 1400 Lunar Drive, caused quite a bit of damage in a production area of the plant, according to Wapakoneta Fire Chief Kendall Krites.

Second shift workers noticed flames on the ceiling, which is estimated 35 to 40 feet high, above where the presses run in the process of making mud flaps and other rubber products, Krites said.

Ignited material dropped onto the floor and caught some of the product on fire, Krites said.

About eight workers had to evacuate the building.

Fire crews arrived and the building’s sprinkler system started to work to put out flames.

Krites said dousing the flames created extremely smoky conditions, which created difficult conditions for the firefighters.

Krites expected damage assessment and cleanup will take the rest of the week.

Mutual aid was provided from Buckland and Uniopolis.