Fire at Basic American Foods plant in Rexburg - East Idaho News
Rexburg

Fire at Basic American Foods plant in Rexburg

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REXBURG — A fire started at the Basic American Foods plant in Rexburg, Sunday afternoon, following a power bump.

Madison Fire Department Chief Corey Child says the power bump knocked out part of the plant’s heating system, which resulted in the blaze. The plant is heated by burning sawdust and wood chips, which are transported via conveyer belt into the building.

“When the power bump occurred the hopper, which feeds the boiler stopped functioning, but the conveyer belt kept going and the pile of wood in the hopper just got high and higher until it caught fire from the boiler and spread down the conveyer belt,” Child said.

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Photo by Natalia Hepworth, EastIdahoNews.com

In addition to the Madison Fire Department, Central Fire District and St. Anthony Fire Department also responded to the scene not long after 1 p.m. Sunday. The blaze was under control by 2:30 p.m.

No one was injured and the damaged to the building was minimal, Child said.

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