Ethanol Plant Explosion Kills 1, Injures 4 Just Days after Fire

An explosion was reported Monday afternoon, April 17, 2023, at the Green Plains ethanol plant in Wood River, NE.

The Nebraska State Fire Marshal Agency said firefighters found a liquid holding tank that had been damaged in the explosion at the plant, which makes the highly flammable fuel additive. There was no fire when they arrived.

One person was killed and three others injured in an explosion at a Nebraska ethanol plant, according to the state Fire Marshal's Office.

Chief Investigator Adam Matzner said on Tuesday another employee remains in critical condition at an Omaha hospital, while three other on-site contractors have been treated for minor injuries and released from a local hospital.

The State Fire Marshal’s office said the explosion was an accident caused by work being done on a liquid holding tank. It is not believed to be linked to a separate fire at the plant that happened last Friday.

Local KSNB News reported that on April 14, 2023, a fire occured at the same plant. Wood River Fire Rescue Captain Nick Lammers said when he left the station, they could see smoke coming from the plant, and once on scene they saw flames and knew they had active fire.

The fire was in a grain leg, the loading elevator that transports grain to the bin.