Damage reported to Qubica AMF plant following Wednesday morning fire

LOWVILLE- Firefighters were on the scene of a fire Wednesday for nearly seven hours at Qubica AMF on Utica Boulevard.

Alarms sounded shortly after 11:00 a.m. after employees reported a fire in the piping above one of the processing machines.

Flames were also reported spreading into the roof. Lowville was the primary Fire Department on scene, with Castorland and New Bremen providing mutual aid.

Firefighters successfully worked with plant personnel and extinguished the flames that were in the piping system.

With that said, there were flames that managed to spread into one of the silos, forcing emergency responders and workers to remove all products from within.

Everything from taking the piping apart and emptying the silo, Lowville Fire Chief Joe Austin says this was a lengthy call that required additional equipment from local contractors.

When all was said and done, firefighters remained on scene well into the early evening hours before clearing the plant.

Chief Austin says the fire was sparked due to malfunctioning equipment. There were no injuries reported.

At press time, emergency officials said they were not sure how long the facility will be shut down, as the silo has still not been deemed safe.

The Village Department of Public Works assisted.

Image by Lowville Fire Department.