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Furnace oven explodes at RG Steel in Warren
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The blast furnace at RG Steel, which has been running continuously for several years, was closed Monday as a result of an explosion in one of the blast furnace’s four ovens.
The blast furnace was expected go back into operation sometime Monday night, a company spokesperson said. No disruption to RG customers was expected.
One of the blast furnace’s four ovens exploded at 1:44 a.m. Monday, officials said, adding that they didn’t know the cause.
The blast furnace is the last one still operating in the Mahoning Valley. Dozens operated in the Mahoning Valley during its steel- making heyday.
“There was an explosion in the No. 4 stove, sending debris out of the top of the stove, and the hot debris fell on the roof of the machine shop, catching it on fire,” Warren Township Fire Chief Kenneth Schick said.
Eight fire departments responded to the mill’s Main Avenue Southwest gate in Warren Township.
The oven itself was not on fire when firefighters arrived, Schick said, but it took about three hours — until 5:09 a.m. — to bring the fire in the machine shop under control.
There was extensive damage to the machine shop, including tools and spare parts stored there. No injuries were reported, including to RG Steel employees or firefighters.
“That part of the mill is very dangerous because they do a lot of things under pressure,” Schick noted.
Bette Kovach, RG Steel spokeswoman, said the ovens heat air that is blasted into the furnace. The explosion did not cause any damage to the furnace, Kovach said. She said it’s not known how much damage resulted from the incident.
RG Steel is the former Severstal and WCI Steel mill.
In addition to Warren Township, fire departments from Howland, Lordstown, Warren city, Braceville, Weathersfield, Newton Falls and Champion responded to the fire.