A fire erupted at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Pennsylvania, which produces key military supplies, including heavy artillery ammunition. The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. local time on Monday, April 15, and resulted in the emission of black smoke from the facility. Local emergency services quickly responded to what was described as a “structure fire.”
The Scranton plant, managed by General Dynamics-Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) under the U.S. Army’s Joint Munitions Command, confirmed the fire was small and had been extinguished with no injuries reported. The facility is currently assessing the damage to understand the potential consequences for its operations. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Significantly, the plant is a crucial part of the U.S. military infrastructure, producing 155mm and 105mm artillery projectiles, 120mm mortar rounds, 203mm naval shells and various smoke, illumination and incendiary rounds. Since 2022, the Scranton facility has been increasing its production capabilities to meet both U.S. demands and international military assistance needs, particularly for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. In March 2024, the U.S. committed a $300 million aid package to Ukraine, emphasizing air defense, artillery and anti-tank weapons.
Interestingly, the fire at the ammunition plant garnered more attention from foreign media, particularly in regions directly impacted by the output of such facilities. Both Iran and Ukraine reported extensively on the incident. Mehr News Agency from Tehran, an Iranian state-run news outlet, and Militarnyi from Ukraine provided detailed coverage, reflecting a heightened international interest compared to U.S. media. This increased coverage can be attributed to the direct relevance of the plant’s production to ongoing conflicts, especially the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Scranton, a northeastern Pennsylvania community of about 75,000 residents and the birthplace of U.S. President Joe Biden, is bracing for his scheduled visit on Tuesday following the fire incident.
schrute.
Definitely Dwight running a fire response test, jamming all the doors shut.
Duh, what’s the difference between flammable and inflammable?
Flammable – easily ignited, but fairly easily extinguished.
Inflammable – even MORE easily ignited, but MUCH harder to extinguish … luckily, this wasn’t an EV battery manufacturing plant. Sleepyhead Poopypants wouldn’t be visiting the toxic ash heap for YEARS.
Inflammable is one of the exceptions to the “in” rule.
Like inedible doesn’t mean “even more edible”, it means not edible…
“President Joe Biden, is bracing for his scheduled visit on Tuesday following the fire incident.”
At which time he will tell the tale of how he understands because he too was a ‘fire survivor’ for that time the smoke alarm went off in his kitchen ’cause basically wifey burned something and he wasn’t home, then he will fall asleep.
Receiving about as much coverage as the food processing plant fires we have had over the last few years……..we’ll see how this one plays out
When we made 14000 per month 155mm we were at 100% gunpowder, at 30000 we are at 50% from the only US powder plant. At 21pounds per shell when we hit 80000 per month there will be no US powder for commercial ammo… none for citizens of our
country and just what gun banners want?
Coincidence?
The big guns use different propellant.
Imagine using artillery or mortar propellant in your reloads. You would never know what happened.
I love the smell of chloroform in the morning, it reminds me of Composition B
Artillery powder is a very slow burn rate. Could you even get enough in a small arms case to cause a problem (or get proper function)?
Make Ammo Great Again.
Oh noes! How will we be able to interject ourselves into the conflicts of other nations now?!
Can taxpayers get that money back after the companies insurance pays out or is this like that bridge thing where apparently the fed (taxpayers) will pay and the various insurance companies involved in the incident get to keep their cash.
I’m pretty tired of being a piggy bank for these MIC mongers and global corporations. Used to be the left felt the same way about this. Or at least they claimed to.
“Can taxpayers get that money back after the companies insurance pays out…”
The plant workers will be the big winners on that, world stocks on arty ammo are so low, the plants will be running flat for the next 20 years, if not longer…
This incident appears to have been a quench oil fire in their Q&T shell body heat treating operation. These can damage roofs, wiring, and piping; also require a HAZMAT clean up. Typically takes a month or more to restore the heat treating lines to service, depending on the amount of peripheral damage.
“Typically takes a month or more to restore the heat treating lines to service, depending on the amount of peripheral damage.”
Normally, yes, I’d bet money it happens a *lot* faster.
Everyone capable of producing 155 is either doing it now, or will be as soon as refits are complete. The ‘sense or urgency’ is real.
And those plants will be running balls-out for decades to rebuild severely depleted world stocks. No one wants to be caught with their pants down again, especially after Putin stupidly published his ‘We will re-build the Russian Empire’ screed… 🙁
The sense of incompetence is more urgent these days.
BAE’s 155mm load & pack facility in Glascoed, Wales just blew up. It appears that IMX-101 is not as insensitive as BAE promised.
155mm shell deliveries to Ukraine will be a bit delayed.
300million aid package.
Gee how is Ukraine going to pay that back once its Russian territory again?
Oh I know, America will put wheat sanctions on Russia.
What? Ukraine’s export is wheat?
Uh okay, how about no more Bush legs, that’ll teach’em.
We are pissing in the wind.
“We are pissing in the wind.”
That’s a good tag line for just about everything the gummint does.
… which would be well and fine if we weren’t all standing downwind.
I think only the Russians get the Bush Legs joke.