Firefighters Extinguish Blaze At Binghamton Business

Binghamton firefighters extinguished a blaze that ignited in a machine at an East Side manufacturing facility.

Authorities said the fire at Buckingham Manufacturing at the corner of Bevier and Travis streets was reported at 3:01 a.m. Monday.

A fire department assistant chief said flames were shooting out of the top and front of a smelter when the first firefighters arrived.

The smelting unit had been turned on by an employee about 45 minutes earlier. The worker told firefighters he later heard some popping noises and discovered flames coming from the unit.

At one point, flames were shooting about five to six feet in the air.

Firefighters turned off the natural gas and electricity feeding the smelter, which operates around-the-clock during the week. The smelter is restarted on Monday mornings.

No injuries and no structural damage was reported. Fire department units were on the scene for about 45 minutes.

The assistant fire chief said the blaze may have been the result of a malfunction of the smelter's gas regulator.

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