COCOA, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2008) — A fire that broke out at the RMD Americas U.S.A. facility in Cocoa was restricted to a segregated pile of tire waste wire and a limited number of scrap tires, according to RMD Americas.
The fire began between 10-11 a.m. on Jan. 18 and was completely contained by 2:30, the firm said.
Police closed U.S. 1 and other roads near the plant during the blaze, and children at a nearby elementary school were kept indoors, but no one was evacuated.
Officials of RMD Americas and the Cocoa Fire Department could not be reached for further comment.
According to its Web site, RMD Americas is a sister operation to the Spanish company Recuperation Materiales Diversos, and is totally vertically integrated, manufacturing its own tire shredding equipment and collecting its own raw materials.
The company—which also has operations in Sturgis, Ky., and Plainfield, Conn.—makes rubber mulch and ground rubber products for the landscaping, playground, equestrian, golf, athletic and industrial markets.