Fire, Explosion at Illinois Food Plant Injures 2 Firefighters

An explosion Friday at a food processing plant in Galesburg, Illinois, sent two firefighters to the hospital with minor injuries, local media report.

At about 9:30 a.m., firefighters responded to a fire at Innovation Production USA where a dryer bin with product inside caught fire, pushing heavy smoke up through a tower on the roof of the building.

Fire captain Brock Schmitt and firefighter Andrew O’Daniel were crossing a catwalk about 20 feet above the ground with a hose line when an explosion blew venting panels off the building. O’Daniel fell nearly six feet onto a lower catwalk, WEEK TV reports.

Both firefighters were treated at a local hospital and released.

The building sustained heavy smoke and fire damage.