Crews Battle Dryer Centrifuge Fire at Marquis Ethanol PlantCrews Battle Dryer Centrifuge Fire at Marquis Ethanol Plant

Crews responded to a report of a dryer fire at the Marquis Energy ethanol production plant in Hennepin, IL Friday morning. Called to the site around 9 a.m., Hennepin Fire Department personnel discovered a dryer centrifuge ablaze in a dryer building upon arrival.

“The fire was located in a dryer centrifuge unit about 30 feet above the floor and was contained to the inside of the equipment and at the start of the ductwork,” Hennepin Fire said in a post to its Facebook page. “Extinguishment involved gaining access and using copious amounts of water in order to cool the equipment.”

Marquis Energy staff were able to keep the facility in operation as firefighters worked to douse the 3-alarm fire. Employees monitored equipment from a control room to ensure no issues occurred. Emergency personnel cleared the scene around 11:15 a.m.

No injuries were logged during the incident. 

Marquis Energy’s Hennepin plant in central Illinois currently has a production capacity of over 365 million gal.