Grenfell cladding firm's factory hit by fire in Devon
Exeter firefighters tackle a blaze at Arconic, the US firm that manufactured the panels thought to have spread June's deadly fire.
Sunday 5 November 2017 02:32, UK
A factory in Devon, owned by the maker of Grenfell Tower's controversial cladding panels, has been hit by fire.
US firm Arconic makes the Reynobond PE panels, which were used as one component of the west London block's cladding system.
The cladding is suspected to have helped the blaze spread through the tower in June, killing an estimate 80 people.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were called to Arconic's plant in Exeter on Saturday, after reports of a fire in the casting plant at its foundry section.
Eight fire engines were sent to tackle the accidental blaze which spread to the roof of the factory before being extinguished.
"Due to the potential serious nature of this incident and knowledge of the type of building involved, fire control made the decision to redirect fire appliances from other lower priority incidents in the area to ensure fire service resources were in attendance as soon as possible," a statement from fire service said.
The factory's furnace area was damaged by the fire and smoke, but no-one was injured.
The DevonLive website says the Exeter plant casts precision parts for the aerospace industry.
In June, Arconic announced it was stopping global sales of Reynobond PE cladding for tall buildings, citing concerns about the "inconsistency of building codes across the world".
Following the Grenfell disaster, the UK government carried out cladding tests on hundreds of high-rise blocks, which led to some of them being removed and replaced.