CRESTVIEW — Faulty machinery was to blame for a minor structural fire at L-3 Crestview Aerospace, according to Lance Martin, L-3 Communications Group's manager of public relations.
A caller dispatching first responders about an hour ago initially reported a structural fire with injuries, but the latter part wasn't the case; all employees are safe, Martin said.
The company released this statement:
"L-3 Crestview has contained a small mechanical fire at its facility. The safety and security of Crestview employees are the company’s top priorities and the protocols in place were effective in controlling the situation. All employees at the location have been accounted for and there have been no injuries reported, though there was minor damage in the area of the incident. The facility is returning to normal operations and L-3 Crestview is working with local authorities to ascertain the cause of the issue."
L-3, a defense contractor that provides aircraft modifications and fabricates and assembles parts and frames for various aircraft, employs more than 1,000 people.
L-3’s Crestview office started hiring in June 2011 and has created more than 150 new jobs since then.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Update: Structural fire, 'minor' damage at L-3 Crestview Aerospace