Dec 03, 2022

Employees evacuated after fire at South Hutchinson Plant

Posted Dec 03, 2022 1:00 PM
Photo by Judd Weil
Photo by Judd Weil

JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post

SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Windy conditions and potential crew fatigue caused multiple departments to come to assist South Hutchinson firefighters on a fire in the roof of Tyson Foods Friday night.

Chief Shae Barajas-Brooks said they got the initial call a little before 7 p.m.

"The fire was actually running through the roof," the chief said. "The roof has got several layers on it, between tin and styrofoam and the composites, the different layers. The fire had gotten down into the roof and was running along it, so you had a good section, probably about 10 feet by 30 feet that we were trying to get to."

Units from Yoder, Hutchinson and Nickerson assisted due to the 50 to 55 mile per hour gusts at the time. Employees were temporarily evacuated, but no one was hurt.

The fire is out and the investigation continues, initial physical damage appears to be minimal, other than a little water and the damaged roof section, but investigators still need to assess any potential mechanical damage.