Laser Cutting Machine Damaged In Rock Valley Fire

Rock Valley, Iowa — A laser cutting machine was damaged in a fire on Monday, July 24, 2023, in Rock Valley.

According to Rock Valley Assistant Fire Chief Mike Van Driel, at about 5:10 p.m., the Rock Valley Fire Department was called to the report of a a machine on fire in a building at VH Manufacturing at 204 Westview Drive, on the western side of Rock Valley, south of Town & Country Implement.

The assistant chief says the fire department saw thick, heavy, black smoke as they approached the scene. He says they used water and foam to fight the fire. Plastic was burning inside the machine. After they got the fire out, they used positive pressure fans to ventilate the building.

Assistant Chief Van Driel says no injuries were reported. He says the Hull Fire Department normally comes to this type of call in Rock Valley and vice versa, but he says they called and told the Hull firefighters they could disregard this call.

He says the cause of the fire is undetermined, but something happened, causing part of the machine to get too hot.

Assistant Chief Van Driel reports that the machine received heavy damage in the mishap.

He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene for 30 to 40 minutes.