Blast at Kansas Chemical Plant Causes $2M in Damages

An explosion and fire at the Chemstar chemical plant in McPherson, KS last Thursday night left the facility with damages estimated to total over $2 million, the City of McPherson Fire Department said in a press release. 

Crews were dispatched to the scene at about 4 p.m. Personnel observed thick smoke and flames upon arrival at the West Hays street plant and then worked to ensure that employees who were present at the site during the incident were safe. 

“It was confirmed that an explosion did occur within the facility and badly damaged the structure and process machinery,” Fire Chief TJ Wyssman wrote in a statement. 

Firefighters managed to bring the flames under control by 5 p.m. and personnel remained on scene into the evening to monitor the scene. No injuries were logged during the incident and no releases of chemicals occurred, the fire department’s release said. 

Fire Chief Wyssman said that the site received “extensive damage to plant operations and facilities,” and noted that natural gas and electrical power service to the facility has been cut. The incident is under investigation by the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office and the McPherson Fire Department. 

“Right now, it is too early to speculate on the cause of the incident, but we are working with local and state authorities to conduct a thorough investigation,” Chemstar said in a statement printed by NBC News affiliate KSNW. “Once the cause of the accident is known, a full review of our safety procedures will be undertaken. We will share more information as it becomes available.”

Chemstar Products Company is based in Minneapolis, MN and focuses on the production of starch polymers. Its products are used in a variety of industries including oil and gas, mining, textiles, and paints, coatings, and inks. 

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