Explosion and Fire Damages Deluxe Feeds Plant in Iowa

Firefighters responded to an explosion and fire at the Deluxe Feeds plant in Sheldon, IA on Tuesday afternoon, several local news organizations reported. 

The blast occurred at about 3:45 p.m. at the RMT Avenue location. Five employees working at the site managed to evacuate the building safely, Sheldon Fire Co. Assistant Fire Chief Brad Hindt said in coverage by the Sioux City Journal.

“The safety and security of those on site is our top priority,” Deluxe Feeds Spokesperson Carol Reynolds said in a statement to NWestIowa.com. “While no individual was injured as a result of the explosion, there was some damage to the facility. 

Fire officials told television news station KELO that part of a bin was observed hanging off the side of the structure when they arrived. News website NWestIowa.com said the explosion left a hole in the side of the plant.

A cause of the explosion has not yet been established.

“They were moving materials in the building, making feed. That’s about all we know of what happened when the explosion occurred,” Hindt told the Journal. 

Deluxe Feeds, which is a division of the Kent Nutrition Group, is currently carrying out a $37 million expansion project at the Sheldon plant, according to reports. The site manufactures dairy feed.

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