Explosion ignites fires at Burns Harbor plant
A blast at Cleveland-Cliffs’ Burns Harbor steel mill Tuesday sent a plume of red smoke billowing into the air and set off several fires, but caused no injuries, according to company and police officials.
No one was injured in the incidents, which was caused when the slag pit ignited, said Pat Persico, spokesperson for the Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor steel plant.
Burns Harbor Fire Chief William Arney said the fire department responded to a call at the mill just after noon on Tuesday.
“There were no injuries. It was a small explosion due to water mixing with hot slag,” Arney said.
He said the plume of smoke that rose over the mill was just the iron when mixed with water. He said it didn’t pose a health hazard.
Arney said firefighters from several departments extinguished fires caused by the explosion. He said a few vehicles, Dumpsters, a couple industrial buildings within the mill complex and rubbish caught fire.
“We’re just now getting back,” Arney said just before 2:30 p.m.
Assisting the Burns Harbor and mill fire departments were Porter, Portage, South Haven and Ogden Dunes fire departments, Arney said.
Arney said they don’t often get called out to the mill to fight fires.
Several people reported feeling the explosion in nearby communities. Jane House said she was walking her dog before heading into work at the Hallmark Store in Chesterton when she saw a large rusty looking cloud in the sky.
“I didn’t hear it, but I saw it,” House said. “I saw the toxic cloud. It was pinky and rusty.”
Mindi Fieffer, who also works at the Hallmark Store, said she heard a noise at the store but thought it was a semi truck backfiring.
“We just stopped what we were doing,” Fieffer said.
Fieffer said she sends prayers to everyone at the mill and their families.
While at her South Haven home, Charity Johnson said she heard a loud noise.
“I turned and asked my husband if we’d been bombed. It vibrates the whole house,” Johnson said.
They went outside, and Johnson said they saw a big dusty pink cloud.
In the five years they lived there, she said, she’d never experienced such a thing.
Shortly after, Johnson said they went on Facebook and learned there was an explosion at the mill.
“My biggest concerns was to make sure everyone is okay. That’s where my heart went,” Johnson said.
The Cleveland-Cliffs website states that the company “strive(s) every day to provide safe and well-maintained work environments for our employees, contractors and visitors. Safe production is our primary core value as we continue toward achieving a zero injury culture at our facilities.”
The Burns Harbor facility has 3,170 employees, according to the company’s website.