Firefighters battle fire at Signicast in Brown Deer

BROWN DEER -- The North Shore Fire Department responded to a fire at Signicast in the 9000 block of N. 55th Street in Brown Deer Thursday morning, August 16th.

Officials say the fire was relatively minor -- and apparently involved a pot of molten metal.

Crews entered the structure to investigate and were met by heavy smoke that had banked down from the ceiling to about ankle height. The incident commander upgraded the response to bring additional equipment and personnel to the scene.

Officials say fires involving molten metal cannot be fought with conventional firefighting tactics as the molten metal reacts adversely with water.

Crews were able to utilize various other types of extinguishing agents including, carbon  dioxide and dry chemical fire extinguishers and sand that was on site specifically for  extinguishing this type of fire. The fire was quickly brought under control and extinguished.

There were no injuries connected with the fire.

Damage to the equipment is estimated at approximately $3,000. The cause of the fire  appears to be some type of mechanical failure involving the hydraulics that supply the pot,  however Signicast reports that they will need to send the equipment out for further testing  once the pot cools to a safe temperature to assess the exact cause of the failure.

Signicast's website says it is the world leading provider of investment castings.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.