Sad news from my hometown this morning, as Anderton Castings, formerly known as C and H Die Casting, has been devastated by a fire.

Our news partner, KWTX, reports that firefighters were sent to 222 Lely Drive in Troy around 3:30 AM. When they arrived, heavy smoke was billowing out of the 142,000 square-foot building. 30 to 50 employees who were in the building when it caught fire escaped safely.

The plant, which manufactures parts for cars, air-conditioning and heating systems, and other industries, employs around 300 people. As reported by the Temple Daily Telegram, it was bought by Anderton Castings in 2015.

In January of 2015, Foundry Management & Technology reported that the previous entity, C and H Die Casting Inc., had been cited by OSHA for 15 "serious safety and health standards violations", including electrical shock hazards, damaged and uneven concrete floors, lack of guards on belts, pulleys, and shafts, and uncovered welding terminals. An OSHA inspector also reportedly observed an employee pouring molten metal into dies without protective gear.

A search of OSHA's online database did not yield any safety violations at the plant under Anderton's ownership.

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