Fire Breaks Out in Equipment at Sugar Processing Plant

Firefighters were dispatched to the Western Sugar plant in Scottsbluff, NE Sunday after a fire ignited in a piece of machinery. Officials said the incident was the second fire to break out at the facility in two weeks.

Called to the scene around 11 p.m., crews were able to quickly douse the flames upon arrival, the Scottsbluff Star-Herald reported. Scotts Bluff Rural Fire Chief Carissa Schank told the newspaper that flames spread to some insulation, but no damage estimate was available.

The fire was contained to a piece of crystallizing equipment, which is used in the sugar production process, coverage by RuralRadio.com said. Fire personnel cleared the scene around 3 a.m.

Scotts Bluff Rural Fire firefighters were sent to the plant on July 19 after a piece of plastic ignited in a sugar dryer as maintenance work was being performed, an account by New Channel Nebraska said.

Western Sugar’s facility in Scottsbluff is one of five sugar processing plants operated by the company in the United States.