Fire at UniMetal Surface Finishing Requires Massive Mutual Aid Response

Location: Thomaston, Connecticut

Incident Summary - October 2021

Firefighters from Thomaston and numerous surrounding communities responded to a significant structure fire at the UniMetal Surface Finishing facility on South Main Street. The fire reportedly originated within the production area of the metal finishing plant, specifically involving the ventilation or ductwork system associated with the plating lines.

Due to the complex nature of the facility—which handles various chemicals and metal processing operations—and the intensity of the flames, local crews requested extensive mutual aid. Fire departments from over a dozen neighboring towns, including Torrington, Watertown, and Terryville, assisted in battling the blaze. Crews worked for several hours to contain the fire, which had spread to the roof structure. Reports indicate that while the building sustained considerable damage, particularly to the roof and ventilation systems, there were no reported injuries to employees or emergency responders.

Speculation on Potential Causes

Heating Element Failure: In metal finishing facilities, immersion heaters used in plating tanks are a common ignition source if the liquid level drops (exposing the heater) or if the thermal controls fail, potentially igniting the plastic tank liners or adjacent combustible materials.

Ductwork Accumulation: Fires in plating shops frequently spread through plastic ventilation ducts (often made of PVC or polypropylene). If combustible residues accumulate inside the ducts or if a fire starts in a tank and is drawn into the system, the high airflow can rapidly spread flames throughout the structure and to the roof.

Chemical Reaction: The mixing of incompatible chemicals (e.g., oxidizers and organics) due to a spill or leak could theoretically generate enough heat to ignite nearby combustibles, though this is less common than electrical or mechanical failures in this industry.

Sources

The Register Citizen (Coverage of the UniMetal Surface Finishing fire and mutual aid response)

Hartland Patch (Reports on the multi-town fire department response)

NBC Connecticut / WTNH (General coverage of the incident and scene details)