SHEBOYGAN WI (WHBL) - An overnight fire smoked over a factory in Sheboygan.
Fire crews were called out to VPI Flooring around 9:30 Sunday night for a report of smoke alarms going off. When crews arrived, they found smoke filling up the building. Fire crews made their way inside to find that a hopper filled with vinyl granules had started on fire after a malfunction. Battalion chief Robert Kocmoud says a heating element powered by natural gas failed. "And it was basically like a big smoker, and it smoked up the whole 100,000 square foot factory."
Crews were forced to dump out the hoppers to get to the fire and make sure that none of the vinyl was burning as well. Firefighters then evacuated all the smoke out of the building and were done in about 2 hours.
Kocmoud reminds people that early fire alarms can help save not only property, but also lives. The fire is not believed to be suspicious.