Alcoa restoring operations to fire-damaged mill

ALCOA — Aluminum sheet manufacturer Alcoa has restored operations at its hot mill to three shifts after a Sept. 18 fire disrupted production.

The company said the mill is in the North Plant of Alcoa’s Tennessee Operations and is where aluminum ingots are milled into sheets before they are processed into coils for use in making aluminum cans.

The fire damaged the mill’s roof and appeared to involve fluid from a hydraulic line. No one was hurt in the fire.

The company said the mill has been running with three shifts since Oct. 6, and as repairs continue to be made in returning the mill to full production about 30 employees have been temporarily recalled from layoffs to assist in producing aluminum sheet.

“We’ve made major strides in accomplishing our repair and recovery effort,” said Jeff Weida, Alcoa’s hot mill manager.

Alcoa Inc. has dealt with fires at its Blount County operations before. In January 2009, firefi ghters responded to a blaze at a maintenance area beneath a furnace at the company’s South Plant.

In November 2008, an electrical short on a building crane ignited insulation at the North Plant, resulting in a fire that was quickly doused by firefighters, and shut down production for about four hours.

A fire at the South Plant in June 2008, involving leaking hydraulic fluid, was also put out quickly and had no effect on production. No injuries were reported in any of those fires.