Explosion, Fire at Golden factory

No one was injured after a forging furnace exploded at about 8:15 a.m. today at Goltra Castings, a manufacturing company that mass produces metal fixtures at 501 McIntyre St. in Golden. The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, but it blew metal shavings into an air filtering system which caused a fire.

The filtering system is comprised of roughly 50 large cylinders that are double lined with paper elements. The metal shavings from the furnace explosion caught those paper elements on fire. The Golden Fire Department was able to quickly extinguish the open flames and contain the smoldering within the filtering system, but dark smoke was visible coming from the building. Once the on-scene fire crews had finished putting the fire out, firefighters began ventilating the smoke out of the building.

More than a dozen employees were inside the building when the explosion occurred, but on Golden Fire’s arrival on the scene, the company’s management reported it had evacuated the building and accounted for all of its employees. No injuries were reported.

No nearby homes or business were in any danger and none were evacuated.