Firefighters quickly extinguished a blaze Monday (June 30) morning at the Latex International factory on River Road in Shelton that started in the same machine where a fire that gutted the building last week began.
The fire was reported shortly after 10 a.m.
Shelton Fire Marshal James Tortora said Monday’s fire began after debris from last week’s fire dried out over the weekend and began smoldering Monday morning.
The blaze was contained to the machine — a massive industrial drying oven about 20 by 200 feet — and put out, Tortora said, and crews were clearing the scene as of about noon.
Meanwhile, the fire marshal said he hasn’t yet made a determination as to the cause of the fire that began in the same machine early Thursday (June 26).
About 150 firefighters from throughout the area responded to that blaze, which spread from the drying oven in the basement of the factory through ductwork and conveyor belts to the building’s first floor and roof.
Tortora said last week’s blaze extended so much because of a faulty sprinkler system in the machine.
“The reason why the fire spread the way it did is because there’s a separate sprinkler system in the oven that did not operate for some unknown reason,” he said. “That contributed to the spread of the fire.”
The company — which moved to Shelton from Ansonia’s West Main Street after a devastating 2001 blaze leveled its plant there — filed for bankruptcy protection this month.
The company also agreed to pay several fines to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration for several “serious” violations at a separate facility it operates on Commerce Drive in Shelton.
The Connecticut Post also reported Saturday (June 27) that an auction of the company’s assets was to take place the day of last week’s blaze.
The Valley Indy sent a message to the company last week asking about its plans for the future.
