ALPENA — Fire crews responded early Saturday morning to a structure fire at the Holcim Alpena Plant’s powerhouse, where a blaze broke out in a commercial electrical sub panel.
According to a July 12 news release, the Alpena City Fire Department was dispatched at approximately 6:41 a.m. and arrived to find Holcim personnel reporting a fire contained within a main high-voltage sub panel in the facility’s powerhouse building. Fire crews established command on the scene and coordinated with plant officials to shut down and de-energize the remaining sub panels before attempting suppression.
Using carbon dioxide and dry chemical extinguishing agents from within the plant, firefighters were able to access the affected panel and bring the fire under control.
A total of 18 personnel responded, including 11 on-duty firefighters, the fire chief and deputy chief, and an additional five firefighters from the oncoming shift.
The Alpena Power Company and Holcim staff assisted in the response. Crews remained on scene for about three and a half hours to ensure the fire was fully extinguished and contained.
No injuries were reported, and officials said there were no safety concerns for the public. Holcim personnel stayed on site to begin restoring power and resuming plant operations.