Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews could see smoke from a mile away as they responded to the First Star Fiber recycling facility near 48th and Superior around 10:30 Tuesday morning. Public Information Officer MJ Lierman says they found the fire inside the cardboard compactor.
“They had water on the fire in ten minutes and under control about ten minutes after that.” She says the fire started in the electrical panel of the compactor and was spread by hydraulic oils into the machine.
The fire was contained to the machinery and there was no damage to the building. The cardboard compactor was destroyed and is valued at $500,000 to $1 million. The employees were able to evacuate and no one was injured.
