CLAREMONT, N.C. — A lithium ion battery sparked a damaging fire inside a Catawba County plant Wednesday, according to firefighters.
Crews say the fire inside the WestRock Company in Claremont started just after 8 p.m. when a worker accidentally dropped a battery-powered flashlight into a compactor and smashed it.
WestRock Company produces specialized paper products and packaging solutions.
It took firefighters about two and a half hours to get the blaze under control.
Officials said no one was hurt.
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