Fire contained at Horizon Plastics

Four fire departments successfully contained a major fire that broke out at Horizon Plastics Monday afternoon. There were no reported injuries. Local businesses and residents around the Cobourg, ON facility were evacuated after the blaze broke out in the finished goods holding area adjacent to the east, outside wall of the plant. As of Monday evening, damage had yet to be fully assessed. According to Horizon’s vice president of sales, Mike Springer, most of the damage appeared to be contained to the outside holding area and the east wall of a recent 50,000 sq. ft. addition to the plant.
"We were lucky the wind was from the west, rather than from the east, otherwise the damage could have been much worse," said Springer.
Springer said the blaze broke out about 1:30 p.m., Monday, and quickly spread among finished goods stored in the outside holding area. The products stored in the area were mostly structural-foam molded goods for outdoor use. According to Springer, no raw plastic resin material caught fire during the blaze. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
There are eight injection molding machines inside the section of plant adjacent to the wall where the fire broke out. Springer said he was unsure how much of the plant would be operational on Tuesday.
"As long as we can get clearance from the Fire department and Hydro, we should be running in at least part of the plant," Springer said.