ALBANY, Ore. – Two people are hurt after an explosion and fire at the Selmet plant in Albany, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office said.
The incident happened just before 8 a.m. at 33992 Seven Mile Lane Southeast, and the specialty metals industrial plant was immediately evacuated. Authorities said there is no threat to the public and the fire is out, but the plant remains under evacuation.
One of the employees was taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland in critical condition. The other has since been released from the hospital.
Authorities said the explosion happened on the west side of the foundry building. It’s not known what caused the fire, which took about an hour to extinguish. The state fire marshal was on the scene investigating.
Richard Legenza with Consolidated Precision Products Corp., Selmet’s parent company, issued the following statement:
“The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority. Our thoughts and support are with the employees and their families who have been injured and affected. We will be working closely with the relevant authorities to determine the cause and circumstances surrounding this accident.”
The roads have reopened. The sheriff’s office said there were no leaks or chemical hazards.
It’s too early to tell how much damage was done, the sheriff’s office said.
A nearby business’ employee, Daniel McDonald, said since he’s worked close to the plant, nothing like this has ever happened.
“I haven’t heard of any problems. The community is pretty good here, pretty tight, but no we really don’t see any problems with Selmet or any of the companies around here,” McDonald said.
At the Selmet plant, workers manufacture titanium castings and machine parts for the aerospace industry.
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