Crews were dispatched to the facility at 6571 North Ohio 503 around 1:45 a.m. and encountered heavy smoke conditions, Lewisburg Fire Chief Bob Sewert said.
Sewert said product produced by the company, believed to be animal feed, ignited inside piping that transported the product from building to building. The fire was contained to the piping only, and did not spread into neighboring buildings.
“We were fortunate that we got it stopped before it extended into another building,” Sewert said.
Firefighters encountered intense heat and were forced to cut several holes in the piping and ceiling to release the heat and prevent a possible explosion.
Sewert said a couple of firefighters were transported to area hospitals for treatment of ‘heat-related problems’ but injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. All workers safely evacuated the building before firefighters arrived.
The cause of the blaze is unknown and is being assessed by workers from Cargill. A damage estimate was also not immediately available.
“The company said after making an initial assessment of what occurred here, they expected it to be a lot worse than what it was,” Sewert said.
Firefighters from Lewisburg, West Manchester, Eldorado, West Alexandria, Verona, Eaton, Philipsburg and Trotwood all responded. Sewert said the mutual aid was needed to rotate crews due to the heat and humidity, and to bring water to the scene, since there were no fire hydrants in the area.
UPDATE @ 3:15 a.m.
Firefighters continue to battle a structure fire at the Cargill facility on Ohio 503, south of Lewisburg.
Dispatchers said there have been no immediate reports of injuries and it’s believed that all workers were able to evacuate safely.
Our crew is on the scene, and we’ll update this page as new details become available.
FIRST REPORT
Firefighters from multiple jurisdictions in Preble and Montgomery counties are battling a fire at a Cargill plant south of Lewisburg in Preble County.
Crews were dispatched to the facility at 6571 North Ohio 503 around 1:45 a.m. and reported smoke coming from a portion of the building.
Dispatchers in Preble County said mutual aid was requested from the Trotwood Fire Department for a ladder truck, but additional details were not released from dispatchers.
We have a crew heading to the scene and we’ll update this page when new information is available.
For updates and more news click here to download our free apps.