Roundup: Crews battle 2,500-degree molten glass leak in Kalama

The aftermath of a snowy wreck on Interstate 84 took several hours to clean up. (Oregon State Police)

About 40 firefighters from several departments worked for more than 16 hours in Kalama on Sunday after 2,500-degree molten glass began leaking from a massive melter at Cameron Family Glass Packaging.

No one was reported injured.

The leak, from a melter holding 470 tons of molten glass on North Hendrickson Drive, was reported about 12:35 a.m. Sunday, according to a bulletin from Cowlitz County Fire District 5.

Officials said there was a fire underneath the melter and molten glass was leaking out the bottom onto support beams and steel decking below.

Fire crews and company officials were concerned that overheated supports could fail and the leak could increase.

Crews poured water on the support structure around and under the melter, but the company’s water pumps in the basement were overwhelmed. There were concerns that water in the basement would flood the pumps’ electrical panel, the bulletin said.

As a result, crews brought in three more pumps to remove water from the basement.

Fire crews finished their work about 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

Besides District 5 in Kalama, fire crews came from the Woodland Fire Department, District 1 in Woodland, District 2 in Kelso and District 6 in Castle Rock. They were assisted by American Medical Response ambulance service and Kalama public works employees.

The dollar damage estimate wasn’t available.

A Vancouver truck driver was involved in an accident that closed Interstate 84 in the Columbia River Gorge for three hours early Monday.

The Oregon State Police said the accident occurred at 4:43 a.m. when a commercial truck pulling two semi-trailers was eastbound on the freeway at the Memaloose Rest Area, at milepost 72 east of Mosier. Road conditions featured compacted snow covered by freezing rain, according to a police news release.

The truck was driven by James T. Leek, 52, of Vancouver. When the rear trailer started sliding on ice, Leek tried to regain control but the rig slid sideways and jackknifed. The rear trailer rolled on its side onto the center median, and the truck and first trailer came to a stop across the eastbound lanes and shoulder.

The eastbound lanes were closed to avoid further problems and traffic was rerouted through the rest area with the help of Oregon Department of Transportation sanding equipment.

As the jackknifed vehicles were being removed by a tow company, four unchained commercial trucks slid into each other near Milepost 71. The second incident closed eastbound lanes for an hour as another OSP trooper helped get the trucks chained up and moving.

The first incident near the rest area was cleared and vehicles moved onto the eastbound shoulder so all lanes could be opened around 8 a.m.

No one was reported injured.

Robert E. Daniels, 27, of Vancouver and two others pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for their roles in embezzling $2.4 million from Manke Lumber Co., with offices in Tacoma, Sumner and Shelton.

The conspiracy’s leader, Brett M. Smith, 25, of Puyallup, also pleaded guilty of mail fraud Monday, according to a bulletin from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Seattle.

The bulletin said Smith worked for the company as a log scaler, and helped lead a scheme that included about 20 others to trick the company into sending checks to co-conspirators, for wood that was never delivered to the mill.

John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.