STORM LAKE, Iowa – Tyson Foods’ Storm Lake, Iowa, pork plant was back up and running Jan. 4 after a fire broke out in the by-product rendering area of the facility around 8:30 p.m. Jan. 3 causing the plant to be temporarily evacuated.
According to a release from the Storm Lake Public Safety Dept. it took 30 minutes to put out the blaze, and no injuries were reported.
“Our Storm Lake pork plant is operating after a fire Tuesday that was limited to the by-product rendering area of the facility,” according to a statement by Caroline Ahn, Tyson’s public relations manager. “We appreciate the quick response of local firefighters, who quickly put the fire out, and are thankful no one was hurt.”
The Sioux City Journal reported that firefighters traced the cause of the fire to a mechanical failure in the cooker, which caused it to overheat and ignite its contents. The damage is expected to cost around $6,000, according to the Storm Lake Public Safety Dept. release.
According to the Journal, the Storm Lake plant employs around 1,700 workers, and is planning a $30 million addition to increase its slaughter and storage capacities.
