Fire Ravages Newly Weds Food Plant in ChicagoFire Ravages Newly Weds Food Plant in Chicago

April 3, 2019

3 Min Read
Fire Ravages Newly Weds Food Plant in Chicago
The charred ruins of the Newly Weds Foods plant in Chicago. Image courtesy of the Chicago Fire Department

A five-alarm fire started in a piece of drying equipment at the Newly Weds Food plant in Chicago’s Kelvyn Park neighborhood on Tuesday night, local news organizations reported. By the time the flames were out, the facility was left in ruins. 

The blaze started at about 5 p.m. in a cooking area of the plant. Officials said the blaze likely ignited in a dryer used with breadcrumbs, and then cooking oil allowed the flames to extend rapidly.  

“It started in the central cooking area, and it went up into the roof area and spread both laterally on the roof area,” Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Richard C. Ford II told ABC 7 Chicago.  

Workers evacuated the facility safely during the incident and no injuries were logged. Some 150 firefighters responded to the fire, an article by the Chicago Sun-Times said. A HAZMAT team was called to the scene due to the presence of yeast and risers in the plant, but officials said in the newspaper’s coverage that the materials did not pose a risk. 

The fire was extinguished about five hours after fire crews arrived on scene. During the effort to battle the flames, the roof of the facility collapsed and the facility was declared a “total loss.” One firefighter received minor injuries during the effort. 

Newly Weds Foods thanked the Chicago Fire Department for its efforts in combatting the fire in a tweet on Tuesday evening and said the company plans to “share more when we have had an opportunity to evaluate everything in the light of day.”

The Chicago plant is one of 16 food processing facilities operated by Newly Weds Foods across North America, according to information on the firm’s website. 

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