A fire at the Tyson Foods prepared foods plant in South Hutchinson, Kansas, is being investigated by local fire officials and the company itself.
The fire was reported around 7 p.m. on December 2, at which time, the building was evacuated and operations ceased.
“The fire was actually running through the roof,” South Hutchinson Fire Chief Shae Barajas-Brooks told the Hutch Post, adding that the roof had several layers and an area of about 10 feet by 30 feet was involved.
A spokesperson for Tyson Foods offered the following statement: “We’re investigating a fire that occurred at our South Hutchinson, Kansas, facility Friday night. The safety of our team members is always our top priority so we immediately evacuated the facility and there are no injuries. Operations have resumed as normal. We want to thank the local fire department for their quick response.”
In addition to the South Hutchinson Fire Department, units from the neighboring fire departments in Hutchinson, Yoder and Nickerson also responded.
Bacon toppings and tacos are produced at the South Hutchinson facility, the spokesperson said.
The plant was the site of an ammonia leak in 2017, in which two contract workers were treated by medical personnel.
The South Hutchinson plant is one of two facilities Tyson Foods operates in the vicinity, with another in the adjoining city of Hutchinson, which in 2019 underwent an expansion. Both the Hutchinson and South Hutchinson plants were part of Tyson Foods’ 2001 acquisition of Iowa Beef Packers (IBP).
