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No severe damage resulted from a fire at one of Saline's largest employers.
Saline firefighters were dispatched to Saline Lectronics at 710 North Maple Road at 12:57 p.m. The original call was for a dumpster fire, Fire Chief Jason Sperle said. When firefighters arrived, they found the trash compactor on fire. The fire had spread to an awning above the compactor. Workers had tried to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters finished the job.
"The fire was quickly extinguished. The dumpster was moved away from the building," Sperle said. "There was no damage inside, but there was a lot of smoke within the building."
Sperle said the building was evacuated. Workers were sent home. He believed workers would be back for the afternoon shift.
Sperle said a cigarette butt was the cause of the fire.
Moderate rain, with a high of 50 and low of 20 degrees. Overcast in the morning, light freezing rain in the afternoon and evening, patchy rain nearby overnight.
I have to commend the Saline City manager and engineer for keeping their cool and for their professionalism during the three hour Mill Pond Dam town hall meeting.
I think what's insulting is that the city is bloating the numbers to bolster their case.
Logically, the dam has no practical use. Of course, it's going to cost more. Of course, there's a level of risk there. Of course, over some period of time, it's going to cost more to maintain than a stream.
Life cycle cost analysis is certainly appropriate when considering new assets, but it may not be as appropriate when evaluating existing assets.