A fire broke out on Monday morning, November 25, 2024, at NPS Metals, a metal processing facility located at 3801 15th Ave. N in Fargo. The blaze, which began inside a shot blasting cabinet, prompted a full evacuation of the building. The Fargo Fire Department responded swiftly to the emergency, arriving to find smoke emanating from the structure. Firefighters acted quickly, containing the fire and extinguishing it within 15 minutes. Fortunately, the fire was confined to the shot blasting cabinet and the nearby equipment, preventing it from spreading to other areas of the building.
Shot blasting equipment is commonly used in metal processing to clean and smooth the surfaces of materials. The process involves propelling abrasive media, such as steel shot or grit, at high velocity against a surface using a blasting wheel. The media works to remove contaminants like rust or scale, leaving the surface clean and ready for further processing. The abrasive media is then collected and recycled within the system. In this case, the fire was reportedly contained to the shot blasting cabinet, where the incident originated, limiting the overall damage to that specific area and surrounding equipment.
As is standard in fire emergencies, all employees were safely evacuated from the building. According to the Fargo Fire Department, one of the employees took immediate action by using a fire extinguisher before evacuating, which may have helped to mitigate the spread of the flames. Fortunately, there were no reports of injuries. However, the building did sustain some smoke damage due to the blaze. At the time of the report, a damage estimate had not yet been provided, as the extent of the fire's impact on the equipment and facility was still being assessed.
NPS Metals, which specializes in warehouse and metal processing services, operates a variety of industrial equipment, including shot blasting machinery. The facility is an important part of Fargo's manufacturing sector, providing services that support the production and processing of metal goods. The company’s website highlights its focus on offering high-quality metal treatments for a range of industries, including automotive, construction, and manufacturing. Given the nature of its operations, the fire at NPS Metals serves as a reminder of the potential hazards that come with handling heavy-duty industrial equipment and the importance of safety protocols.
