Industrial Fire

Aalberts Industries - 1509 South Van Lingle Mungo Blvd

Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 7:14 PM

On the evening of Patriots Day, volunteers from the Pageland, High Point, and Sandhills Fire Departments, along with Pageland Rescue and Lifeguard EMS responded to an industrial fire at Aalberts Industries (formerly known as Combraco). Upon arrival, Pageland Engine 2 followed by High Point Engine 11 encountered visible smoke emanating from the building.

Initial reports indicated that the burning material would react negatively with water, prompting firefighters to utilize dry chemical fire extinguishers to suppress the flames. However, subsequent assessment revealed that the source of the fire was a large pool of hydraulic fluid resulting from a ruptured hose. Recognizing the nature of the burning material, firefighters deployed a hose from Engine 2 and established a foam operation to effectively blanket the hydraulic fluid with foam and extinguish the fire.

Firefighters from all three departments rotated their crews inside the structure to fight the fire, periodically exiting the building to change air tanks and rehydrate.

One Aalberts employee sustained injuries from a fall and was subsequently airlifted to a trauma center in Charlotte, NC, for further treatment.