LOOK: Photos From Iowa Biofuels Plant Explosion

Thursday (12/8/22), news broke about an explosion at a Marengo biodiesel facility that injured multiple people.

There were two explosions that took place Thursday afternoon. The first explosion occurred around 11:15 a.m., the second being 45 minutes later. Crews worked through the night to put out the fire from the explosion.

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The explosions happened in a building owned by Heartland Crush LLC which once was a soybean processing facility. It is currently being operated by C6-Zero and now converts roofing shingles into biodiesel and other products. The property is also currently listed for sale for $899,000. According to the listing, the sale is currently “pending”.

An evacuation order was issued for those within a two-block radius of the site due to fire, chemical, and wind concerns. Residents of Marengo were advised to stay indoors due to poor air quality. As crews battled the fire, residents were also warned of brown water.

At around 7 pm Thursday Night, the City of Marengo sent out an announcement on its Facebook page saying residents could return to their homes.

There were around 30 people in the plant at the time of the explosion, and 10 to 15 people had to be treated at the hospital.

Doctor Teri Brennan, a University of Iowa Hospitals spokesperson gave an update on those that were treated for the incident.

 We can’t comment on the specific conditions of the patients but I can tell you that the majority of them were in the minor to moderate category,

 

When a mass casualty incident like this happens, we categorize patients into red yellow, and green. The more serious injuries are in the red, most serious injuries are in the red category, and we had one patient that was in the red category.

Chemicals and other materials in the building continue to fuel the flames. The investigation remains paused as the fire continues to burn.