Fire Threatens Potato Processing Plant in North Dakota

“Your French fries are safe” was the message the Grand Forks (North Dakota) Fire Department posted to its Facebook account after extinguishing a fire at the J.R. Simplot potato processing plant Wednesday afternoon.

“When crews arrived on scene they were met by employees and were led to a freezer where maintenance was taking place,” the Facebook account reads.

Firefighters found a smoldering fire in a wall adjacent to the plant’s packaging area. Production continued throughout the emergency.

Capt. Darren Schimke told local media that a small explosion occurred while extinguishment took place. One firefighter received minor injuries when he stumbled on some debris.

A fire at the same plant in September 2018 caused an estimated $150,000 in damages and forced staff to evacuate the structure.