Novelis Fire Won’t Affect Employment, Aluminum Maker Says

Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, R-Central Square, said Thursday that the fire could have a significant impact on the community and the plant’s 1,200 workers.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Novelis does not expect the fire that broke out Tuesday night at its massive aluminum plant in Scriba to “negatively impact employment” there, the company said.

The fire at the plant, at 448 County Route 1A, was reported just after 10 p.m. Flames eventually shot through the roof of one building and firefighters spent hours bringing the fire under control. No workers or firefighters were injured.

Novelis said in a statement that production at the aluminum plant has been halted as it investigates the cause of the fire and determines the extent of the impact to the plant’s operations. The company said it has been in contact with its customers and suppliers regarding “business continuity” and navigating potential disruptions.

“Our top priority is employee well-being as we assess the situation and what will be needed to safely get the plant back online,” Novelis said. “We do not expect this to negatively impact employment at the plant.”

The company, which is one of Oswego County’s largest employers, did not say if it planned to furlough, lay off or reassign any of the 1,200 workers at the plant until it’s operational again.

Novelis offered no estimate on when it might reopen the plant. The smoke from the fire was visible from miles away, but Oswego County Fire Coordinator Shane Laws said in a statement that only one building at the sprawling facility sustained “significant damage” and that the rest of the plant was saved.

A fire alarm at the Novelis plant was called in to Oswego County 911 at 10:06 p.m. Tuesday, and within two minutes, mutual aid was requested and the call reclassified as a structure fire.

Laws said the blaze was a three-alarm fire, which refers to the amount of equipment and firefighters called to the fire. He said 26 fire departments and 175 firefighters ultimately assisted either at the fire directly or by providing stand-by coverage for other departments that were working at the fire.

The biggest challenge for firefighters was extinguishing the fire in the roof. Laws said that because the roof partially collapsed, firefighters were forced to rely on ladder trucks to spray water on the flames. Because of the large number of ladder trucks used, a task force of tanker trucks was organized to haul water to the site, which has fire hydrants, he said.

Laws said the additional manpower and equipment that arrived at the fire prevented more damage to the aluminum plant.

The fire was mostly out by 2 a.m.

“While it was a long night for all of the first responders, the coordinated fire response was very well run overall,” Laws said. “We’re all grateful for the considerable mutual aid our neighboring cities, towns and villages offered.”

Kevin Pooley, Oswego County 911 director, said the 911 center dispatched units and provided on-scene support at the command post. But he said the county didn’t launch any of its drones to help with firefighting operations because Novelis’s fire brigade deployed its own drone equipment.

“It was one of the most important tools during the fire because the area was so large,” he said.

Austin Wheelock, who oversees Operation Oswego County (OOC) and the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency (IDA), which have supported projects at Novelis in the past, declined to comment, but released a statement saying both organizations stand with Novelis in the wake of the fire.

“Novelis is an important part of our county and community, and our thoughts are with their employees, their families, and all those affected by this event,” Wheelock said. “We remain committed to supporting them as they navigate this challenge and rebuild.”

Alcan opened the aluminum plant in Scriba in 1963. Novelis was spun off from Alcan in 2005 and was acquired in 2007 by Aditya Birla Group, a multinational conglomerate headquartered in India. Novelis has invested in several major expansions at its plant in Scriba in recent years.

In 2021, it made a $130 million upgrade to the plant, which processes prime and scrap aluminum into rolled sheets for use in the automotive, beverage can and specialty markets.

Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, R-Central Square, said Thursday that the fire could have a significant impact on the community and the plant’s 1,200 workers.

“I understand and I feel for them,” he said. “Absolutely, we’re concerned and we stand with them and we’ll help them with whatever they need to do.”

Weatherup said he didn’t know what kind of help Novelis would need, such as assistance with permitting or financial assistance from the IDA.

He said the fire was “still pretty fresh” and that he wasn’t sure if Novelis has figured out its next move yet or even had a chance to survey what equipment is salvageable. He said how long it would take to rebuild would likely depend on the structural integrity of the building where the fire occurred.

“My guess is you’ve got to have a roof on this thing before you can open it back up,” he said.

Laws did not say what investigators believe might have started the fire. The New York State Police and the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office said they were not involved in investigating the cause of the fire.

 Courtesy: www.oswegocountynewsnow.com