Small roof fire at Thombert causes minimal damage

The roof of Thombert, Inc., a polyurethane wheels and tires manufacturer, caught fire Oct. 9 at the Newton-based factory, causing minimal damage to the building.

Newton Fire Department responded to a commercial fire at 3:29 p.m. at the 316 E. Seventh St. N. facility. Employees discovered the smoke and pulled the fire alarm to evacuate the building, the fire department stated in a press release. Emergency crews saw smoke coming from the roof upon arrival.

William Smith, president of Thombert, told Newton News the employees were unable to put out the flames with fire extinguishers. The small amount of fire was found and quickly extinguished by Newton firefighters. Damage was mostly contained to an HVAC unit and electrical components in the roof near the unit.

“The fire department did an excellent job. We had a small fire that our line staff were initially unable to extinguish with the fire extinguishers, so we pulled the fire alarm and the fire department came and helped us out,” Smith said. “It was a lot of fire trucks but not a lot of fire. It was not a large fire to say the least.”

Newton first responders were assisted by fire departments in Baxter and Kellogg. According to the Newton Fire Department, crews were on scene for a little more than an hour. Smith confirmed staff received no injuries, burns or any physical harm as a result of the small fire.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com