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A major fire broke out at the Novelis aluminum plant in Scriba on Thursday (November 20), marking the second significant blaze at the facility in recent months. Over 80 firefighters from 20 departments responded to the five-alarm fire, which was reported around 8:45 a.m. in the plant's hot mill section, spreading to the roll shop. The fire was mostly under control by 12:20 p.m., and crews remained on site to ensure it was fully extinguished by 4 p.m.
According to Syracuse.com, the fire caused heavy smoke and required tanker trucks to ferry water to the site. Fortunately, all employees were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and a full damage assessment is pending.
The Novelis plant, a key supplier of aluminum sheets to the automotive industry, had previously suffered a fire on September 16, which severely disrupted the supply chain and cost Ford Motor Company an estimated $1 billion. The plant supplies 40% of the aluminum sheets used by U.S. automakers, with Ford being the largest customer.
CNY Central reports that this latest incident could further delay efforts to bring the plant back online, impacting the automotive industry. The September fire had already halted production at auto plants in Tennessee and Michigan.
Novelis, which employs over 1,100 people at the Scriba facility, has been working around the clock to repair the plant, hoping to resume operations soon. However, the recurring fires pose significant challenges to these efforts.