Update: Firefighters from two counties battling fire at Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego County (19 photos)

Update: More than 80 firefighters battle large fire for hours at Novelis aluminum plant

Update, 4 p.m.: The fire is now out, Novelis said in a statement. The company said it hasn’t been able to fully assess the damage yet or investigate the cause of the fire.

Update, 11:25 a.m.: A representative from Novelis at the plant said the fire was still burning. She declined to comment further.

Update, 11:10 a.m.: Water tankers could be seen ferrying water to and from the facility. Fire departments from Oswego and Onondaga counties were at the fire.

Update, 10:50 a.m.: Firefighters were pouring water on the plant from at least four hoses from ladders, according to images from Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard’s drone.

Fire could still be seen burning on the roof. Flames could be seen along seams in the roof.

At least 12 fire engines and trucks could be seen on scene.

Original article

Scriba, N.Y. — A large, four-alarm fire was reported Thursday morning at the Novelis aluminum plant in Oswego County.

Heavy smoke and fire was reported at 9 a.m. in the Scriba plant’s hot mill section and spreading into the roll shop, according to dispatches from the Oswego County 911 Center.

The fire is now under control, the company said in a statement at 10:15 a.m. Crews are still on scene to ensure it is fully extinguished, the company said.

Everyone working at the plant was safely evacuated, the company said.

The plant was rocked by an earlier fire in September that took more than 20 fire departments four hours to extinguish.

That fire damaged the roof and halted the plant’s ability to heat up aluminum ingots, the first step to make rolls of aluminum sheets.

Novelis says it is the world’s largest supplier of aluminum sheets to the automotive industry, with a global market share of about 50%.

The plant’s Sept. 16 fire severely disrupted the American auto industry supply chain. The loss of the plant’s aluminum sheets temporarily shut down auto plants in Tennessee and Michigan. Ford Motor Co. estimates it cost the company $1 billion.

Company officials had said they were hoping to bring the plant back online in December.

Novelis has touted that it is running a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation to repair the plant. The company brought in stadium lights so crews can work around the clock.

Novelis employs more than 1,100 people at the plant in the town of Scriba, near Oswego. It is one of Oswego County’s largest employers.

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