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SEATTLE (Updated June 21, 1:15 p.m. ET) -- Plastic bag manufacturer American Plastic Manufacturing Inc. sustained about $1 million in damages in a June 19 fire, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
The company, located in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, caught fire at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The plant was open at the time, but workers evacuated safely.
No injuries were reported.
The one-story plant lost power Tuesday morning. Soon after, employees spotted a fire on the roof of the building. Several employees attempted to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers while others contacted the fire department, said Ken Holmes, marketing director at American Plastic.
By the time emergency crews arrived, the fire had spread to the walls of the plant. It took firefighters 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze.
According to investigators, the fire was accidental and started at an exhaust vent for the manufacturing floor. The cause of the initial power outage is still under investigation.
The plant has halted production until investigations are complete and power is restored, but should be up and running in a few days, Holmes said.
The building sustained minor damage, but two or three extrusion machines were water damaged and may need to be replaced, he said.
“In the scheme of things, it was fairly minor,” he said. “We’re going to keep going pretty strong.”
The plant has about 20 employees. It houses eight extruders, five printing presses and 10 converters.
American Plastic specializes in custom printed plastic bags, including single-use and reusable shopping bags made from low and high density polyethylene. The company also has a line of biodegradable bags.
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