While some pork processing at Tyson Foods resumed Saturday, the Logansport plant’s slaughter operations remain suspended as a result of damage from a fire Friday morning.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said the plant expects work in its slaughter area to resume this week or early next week. About 500 of the company’s 1,900 employees have been affected by the shutdown.
Fire broke out in the facility on the city’s southwest side sometime before 9:07 a.m. Friday. Heavy black smoke was pouring from the building when Logansport firefighters arrived with ladder and rescue trucks and three engines.
All off-duty Logansport firefighters were called in, as were firefighters and two ladder trucks from Monticello and Peru. In all, more than 40 firefighters and eight pieces of equipment were on the scene. Firefighters battled the blaze for more than four hours.
U.S. Department of Agriculture inspectors have given approval to continue pork processing throughout the week as the company recovers, Mickelson said.
According to Dave Huff, Logansport’s assistant fire chief, the building suffered heavy smoke, water and heat damage to the machines and the structure, and some beams were bowed. Firefighters also cut into the concrete roof to start the cooling process.
“The roof has been repaired and we’re in the process of replacing equipment and doing electrical rewiring,” Mickelson said.
Hogs that normally would been shipped to Logansport are now being diverted to Tyson plants in eastern Iowa.
Nearly 1,000 employees safely evacuated the plant and most of them went into the cold air with just their short-sleeved shirts.
The local chapter of the Red Cross distributed more than 100 blankets and served more than 1,000 meals to the employees, who also took turns warming up on eight Logansport school buses sent to the plant.
Mickelson thanked all the agencies in the community that came to the aid of Tyson Foods and its employees.
“We want to extend our sincere appreciation to the Logansport fire and police departments, as well as the Monticello and Peru fire departments, for their outstanding response and ability to get last week’s fire safely under control,” he said. “We also want to thank the mayor of Logansport, organizations such as the Red Cross and Logansport School Corporation, and other local businesses for their assistance and support.”
• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.
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Repairs under way
500 Tyson employees temporarily out of work.
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