Vehicle fire in Cummins test cell leads to building evacuation

A vehicle caught fire in a test cell at the Cummins Tech Center Monday morning, leading to the evacuation of the building.

According to the Columbus Fire Department, they were called to the 1900 block of McKinley Avenue at about 11:53 a.m. Monday morning after a gasoline powered truck inside a test cell caught fire. The truck had about 100 gallons of fuel, when it caught fire.

Technicians noticed the fire when it started and alerted the company’s emergency response team. An evacuation alarm was activated and the building cleared before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters entered the cell to find heavy smoke reducing visibility and high heat. They located the fire by the glow and were able to extinguish the flames within minutes of entering the cell.

Firefighters say the fire was confined to the testing cell and caused significant damage to the prototype vehicle.

After the fire was out, firefighters stayed on scene for more than an hour to test the air quality inside the building and make sure there were no hazardous gasses, before letting employees re-enter the center.

No one was injured. There was smoke and water damage within the test cell, but no damage estimate is available.

Photo courtesy of Columbus Fire Department