OH Grain Elevator Explosion Injures FF
By Joe Centers
Source Norwalk Reflector, Ohio
Nov. 21 -- BELLEVUE, OH -- The first call Tuesday came to Norwalk requesting the ladder truck.
And the calls kept coming as firefighters battled a grain elevator fire at Bunge North America, a food production company, which is in the former location of Central Soya at 605 Goodrich Road.
Firefighters responded to a fire at a soybean processing facility which led to an explosion. The call came in at 8:23 a.m. There was a fire at the top of the elevator, Bellevue Fire Lt. Tony Schaffer told the Sandusky Register.
At least three trucks came from Norwalk, as well as firefighters from the Huron River Joint Fire District.
Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth was at the scene. He said he checked in with Bellevue police to lend any support they needed.
An employee saw the smoke coming from the elevator portion of the facility, where the soybeans are stored before being processed.
Bellevue fire arrived at the scene and called for mutual aid from Norwalk and Huron River fire departments. Groton Township fire covered calls for Bellevue while they were on scene.
“After the fire department’s arrival there was an explosion,” Schaffer told the Register.
Schaffer didn’t know the exact location of the explosion, but he said it was near the elevator.
One firefighter was injured while battling the flames and was transported to a local hospital. He has since been released and is recovering at home, Schaffer said.
An employee for Bunge said all of its personnel have been accounted for and the fire had been put out.
The fire appeared to be out then firefighters were called out of the building by Norwalk Fire Chief John Soisson at about 3 p.m. Firefighters still were at the scene Tuesday evening.
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