Fire hits Post's printing plant

MARIAN GAIL BROWN Mgbrown@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 03/02/2008 12:08:55 AM EST

BRIDGEPORT — A fire damaged a press at the Connecticut Post's printing plant at 600 State St. shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday.

The fire forced publication of today's edition to an alternate location. The building sustained smoke and water damage. Fourteen people working at the plant when the fire broke out at 5:09 p.m. were evacuated as heavy smoke engulfed the building and could be seen three blocks away.

Artie Harriman, a veteran 25-year pressman, was being treated for smoke inhalation at an area hospital Saturday night. Harriman's condition could not be determined at press time. Two other people went to the hospital on their own.

The fire broke out in the folder and conveyor areas, which are sections of the damaged printing press, according to Assistant Fire Chief Dominick Carfi. "A worker for Pressline Services was grinding a steel part of the press in the folding area of the press and a spark ignited some paper fibers there," Carfi said. From there, the flames "went up 15 to 20 feet in the air and then dropped down into the basement area too."

Carfi estimated that the Connecticut Post's press extends about 200-feet long and is about 15-feet high.

"This building is loaded with smoke," a firefighter said to Carfi as he emerged from the building coughing. "You can get lost in there pretty easy." The firefighters that raced into the building were all suited up with breathing apparatus that included oxygen tanks.

Thirty-one firefighters responded to the building and fought the blaze for 20 minutes. They used 20 pounds of sodium bicarbonate — baking soda — to help extinguish the blaze. When they had no more, they reverted to water.

Firefighters placed six fans inside to remove the smoke once the fire was out.

"I was in the machine shop on the first floor in the opposite end of the building," said Daniel Northup, a mechanic with Pressline Services of St. Louis, which has been working on the presses for the past month. "I heard one of the guys holler then there was a flash of fire coming out of the folder in the press. We hit it with fire extinguishers — about five or six of us — then we got the hell out of there because it got to be too smoky."

The printing plant is located two blocks from the Post's main offices at 410 State St.

Staff writer Michael P. Mayko contributed to this report.