KINSTON, N.C. – ENC.Today.com. reported that facility expansion efforts at the Kinston, N.C. Butterball LLC’s processing plant were delayed Aug. 31 after construction workers accidentally started a fire while working in the loading dock area while cutting bolts. About 20 workers evacuated the plant and no injuries were reported.

“The most important thing is we got out safely,” said Mike Bliss, vice president of operations for Butterball’s furthering processing division. “The team did an excellent job of following protocol and exiting the building safely.”


According to reports, firefighters struggled to extinguish the blaze that partially collapsed the second story. Bill Johnson, director Kinston Public Safety, did not have a damage estimate on the building as the damage is still being determined, but said the facility experienced heavy fire and smoke damage.