Two Néstlé-Libby’s employees remain hospitalized this week following a Friday morning fire that broke out at the pumpkin-canning plant in Morton.
Morton firefighters responded at 5:23 a.m. to a report of a fire that morning following an incident during a propane-filling operation, Morton Fire Department Chief Joe Kelley said.
The fire was extinguished prior to firefighters’ arrival, but about 10 20-pound propane tanks continued to leak.
Firefighters cordoned off the area while the leaking tanks were assessed and contained.
The two employees were first transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and later transferred to Springfield Memorial Hospital’s burn unit. The two employees were listed in serious but stable condition Friday. As of Monday, one employee had improved and was upgraded to fair condition, O’Hearn said. The other remains in serious but stable condition. The names of the employees are not being released for privacy reasons.
O’Hearn said an investigation into the incident continues and no exact cause has been determined. She said OSHA is also investigating the incident.
Propane filling is a daily operation said Roz O’Hearn, spokeswoman for Néstlé/Libby’s. The propane tanks are used to fuel forklifts used throughout the day.
“It’s a regular daily task,” O’Hearn said of the operation. “Somehow, there was an explosion.”
The explosion occurred outside of the facility. No damage to the building was reported and the incident will not affect production at the pumpkin-canning plant. About 60 employees were on duty at the time of the incident.
