Fire strikes NC Freightliner plant in Mount Holly

GASTONIA, N.C. (AP) — A two-alarm fire at Freightliner's truck manufacturing plant in North Carolina forced a temporary halt to operations.

The Gaston Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/Y8HTq8 ) the fire early Thursday morning was in the plant's paint filtration system on the roof. Mount Holly Fire and Rescue Chief Dale Oplinger said it took more than an hour to put the fire out in part because of its location inside a metal structure.

Oplinger estimated the fire caused between $5,000 and $10,000 in property damage, but that does not count lost work time. He said the third shift was unable to return to work Thursday, but the first shift was able to work.

Freightliner employs about 1,500 workers at its Mount Holly plant.

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Information from: The Gaston Gazette, http://www.gastongazette.com