By Mark Wineka
mwineka@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó Firefighters from southern Rowan departments and the city of Kannapolis worked diligently Sunday to contain a fire at Parkdale America Plant No. 23 that spread from ductwork to the roof.
Crews successfully knocked down flames on the roof over the plant’s filter house and in the ductwork off the spinning room.
By 7:26 p.m., command officials said the fire was under control. The original call for the Landis, China Grove, Enochville and Kannapolis departments came in at 6:19 p.m.
Smoke was visible as the first trucks arrived, and personnel immediately placed ladders from South Main Street to the roof of the sprawling brick plant.
The Parkdale American operation, which employs about 105, is located at 100 S. Main St. A shift was working Sunday and continued to work after the plant was turned back to plant personnel at 8:55 p.m.
No report on the damage was available Sunday night.
Landis Fire Chief Reed Linn said a spark from machinery probably ignited material in the ductwork to start the fire.
The incident closed several of the local streets around the plant, including South Main Street. Much of the interior attack entered from the Zion Street side of the facility.
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office aided in traffic control.
While the roof fire was contained quickly, crews reported that fire in ductwork seemed to be spreading around 6:50 p.m.
Portable lights were set up on the roof, and power was shut off to the filter house and to fans on the plant’s air-conditioning units.
By 7:10 p.m., the command center requested a second alarm, calling for four more volunteer departments. Those units staged at Corriher-Lipe Middle School in case their equipment and personnel were needed.
“They were pretty much for precaution,” Linn said, in case cleaning out the ductwork had proved to be a problem.
The Parkdale American property takes in some 8.1 acres, and the ground floor of the plant off South Main Street encompasses 99,730 square feet, according to county property records. The original part of the plant dates back to 1905.