UPDATE: 3:09 p.m.
PEORIA, Ill. — Peoria firefighters are once again on the scene of a developing emergency at BioUrja Renewables near downtown Peoria. The response comes two days since flames caused an explosion at the plant which left two Bio-Urja employees injured.
Peoria Fire officials say they were alerted to a smoke alarm at the renewable processing plant around 1:45 p.m. Friday.
When crews arrived they reportedly saw a “substantial” fire and believed it to be as bad or worse than Wednesday, possibly in the same location as well.
Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger says crews could see heavy black smoke rising from the facility.
He says conditions have improved significantly since firefighters arrived on scene. Crews have been hampered a bit, working in areas of the facility which are already heavily damaged from Wednesday’s explosion.
Sollberger says for now, crews will remain in a more defensive “wait and see” posture.
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UPDATE: 2:18 p.m.
PEORIA, Ill. — Fire crews responding to the exploded Bio-Urja renewables plant again Friday — reports suggest there is another significant fire burning at the facility.
The plant, formerly owned by ADM, suffered a fire and explosion which caused, perhaps as much as 2-million dollars in damage and injured two employees Wednesday night.
Fire crews and company officials were worried about more flare ups and the structural integrity of the plant and now they are worried about another explosion.
We have a reporter on the way to the scene now and will be bringing you the very latest as it comes in.
In the meantime, an investigation into Wednesday’s initial factory explosion is now well underway with federal officials from OSHA also pitching in to help get to the bottom of it.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
PEORIA, Ill. – The investigation continues into Wednesday night’s explosion at the former ADM plant in Peoria; but for the most part, it’s back to normal for Peoria firefighters.
Fire Battalion Chief Steve Rada says firefighters were able to clear the scene at what is now the BioUrja plant around 1:00 p.m. Thursday — about sixteen hours after the call of an “explosion” first came in. He says BioUrja is continuing the monitor the situation, and is calling in professionals to remove the damaged silos and grain bins.
Meanwhile, complete mitigation – including continued fires — is expected to take an extended period of time.
Two people were injured – and that in part caused OSHA to come to the site to do their own investigation, which could take as much as six months.
Damage to the plant was estimated early on at $2 million.
