Explosion and Fire Reported at Biofuels Plant in IowaExplosion and Fire Reported at Biofuels Plant in Iowa

Firefighters were dispatched to the Hero BX Iowa Biofuels plant in Clinton, IA early Wednesday morning after receiving a report of an explosion and fire at the facility, according to a report in the Clinton Herald.

Called to the site at about 4:15 a.m., crews saw flames that extended about 60 ft from a corner of the building, the newspaper said. Employees evacuated the facility without injury.

The company expressed concerns that flames could reach a methanol tank on site, but firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading, officials told the Herald. Crews cleared the scene by 8:45 a.m.

Hero BX’s biodiesel plant in Clinton has an annual capacity of 10 million gal, according to information on the firm’s website.