Laurel fiberglass tank manufacturing business burns

LAUREL (AP) — The main building of a southeastern Montana company that make fiberglass tanks for use in oil fields was destroyed by fire Thursday afternoon, company officials said.

Heavy, black smoke rose into the air as firefighters from Billings and Laurel battled the blaze at Fiberglass Structures Inc. in Laurel.

There were 20 employees inside when the fire started, and all of them got out safely, plant supervisor Bob Degely told The Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/1Dj9c6W).

The black smoke was likely caused by the highly flammable resin used in construction of the fiberglass tanks, company president Rob Harris said.

Employees initially tried to put out the fire and the building's sprinkler system was activated, Harris said, "but we work with a lot of flammables, and once it got going, it was totally unstoppable."

Officials advised people to stay away from the area because it was unclear if the smoke was hazardous.

The company has a second facility in Laurel and will shift some of the work there, Harris said.