GRAFTON – A fire under a large forging press at Grafton’s Wyman Gordon plant drew emergency crews to the area early Thursday morning.
The incident grew to a two-alarm fire, according to the Grafton Fire Department.
Though the fire’s location did pose challenges to emergency crews, first responders were reportedly able to quell the flames with only “minimal” damage to equipment inside the plant.
Westborough and Sutton fire personnel aided Grafton firefighters at the scene.
Upton, Northbridge and Millbury also provided station coverage, according to the Grafton Fire Department
Wyman Gordon is located off Worcester Street in North Grafton, providing forging services.
The company was founded in 1883 in Worcester, getting into the aerospace industry during World War I, according to a company history on the Wyman Gordon website.
The Department of Defense (DOD) built the current Wyman Gordon facility in 1946 to carry out more advanced aerospace manufacturing tasks. The DOD then chose Wyman Gordon as the site’s operator.
Wyman Gordon bought its Grafton site from the government in 1988 before being acquired, itself, by Precision Castparts Corporation.
A 50,000-ton press within the Wyman Gordon Grafton site dates back to 1955. Its construction was recognized as a milestone in American Cold War aircraft manufacturing ambitions, helping the US build more modern jet-powered aircraft, according to the Library of Congress.
