ADM Explosion Update: Several Employees Hurt After Plant Bursts into Flames
In an ADM explosion update, the company stated that employees were taken to the hospital for treatment, and the cause of the explosion remains unconfirmed. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

A significant fire at the ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) facility in Decatur has resulted in multiple injuries and raised concerns in the local community, according to the latest ADM explosion update.

The incident on Sunday night prompted a rapid response from first responders, WAND reports.

The explosion, accompanied by heavy smoke billowing from the northeast side of Decatur, was first reported around 7:30 PM.

Residents in the vicinity reported feeling the shockwaves in their homes, underscoring the intensity of the blast.

Decatur Fire Department personnel swiftly arrived at the scene to address the emergency. ADM, a major processing complex in the area, was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Thankfully, no private residences required evacuation, according to statements from the fire department.

ADM swiftly responded to the incident, stating that at around 7:11 PM, an explosion occurred at our East Plant in Decatur.

They added that they promptly contacted the Decatur Fire Department and are currently at the scene; multiple employees were injured and taken to the local hospital.

Decatur Fire Department anticipates providing further ADM explosion updates as they become available.

In response to the incident, Representative Nikki Budzinski conveyed her team's engagement with local authorities, emphasizing their close monitoring of the situation at ADM.

This marks the third reported fire at the ADM facility this year, highlighting the ongoing safety concerns surrounding the plant.

ADM Also Bursts Into Flames Less Than 2 Weeks Ago

A third-alarm fire at ADM's corn processing plant in Decatur, Illinois, transported two firefighters to the hospital on August 28.

Emergency crews were summoned to the ADM facility at approximately 4 PM, responding to reports of a blaze, Feed&Grain noted.

Upon arrival, crews confronted a challenging situation as heavy fire engulfed a processing tank, with flames threatening to spread to adjacent tanks.

Firefighters immediately made an immediate effort to contain the fire, preventing it from encroaching upon the facility's structure.

Simultaneously, ADM personnel injected steam and water into the affected tanks.

Given the escalating situation, the incident commander elevated the response to a third alarm.

For the next 12 hours, dedicated firefighting crews diligently battled the blaze until it was fully under control.

The Decatur Fire Department reports indicated that eight firefighting units were dispatched to the scene after the fire initially ignited in the facility's feed house.

During the response, two Decatur firefighters were transported to the hospital for medical attention.

One received treatment and was subsequently released, while the other was admitted for further observation.

ADM spokesperson Dane Lisser conveyed that employees had detected the fire during routine maintenance activities.

ADM's First Explosion This Year

The emergency services were called to the ADM's West Plant in Decatur in April after reports of an explosion, which the Decatur Fire Department suspects may have been a dust explosion, per WAND.

ADM explosion update at that time said that three individuals were injured.

According to an ADM spokesperson, the incident occurred at a grain elevator within the ADM processing complex in Decatur.

ADM confirmed that the injured individuals were transported to Decatur Memorial Hospital for treatment, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Additionally, in October 2020, ADM's corn processing plant experienced a small tank fire in the solvent extraction facility of the processing complex.

ADM, with its North American headquarters located in Decatur, Illinois, maintains the largest employee base and facility globally in Decatur.

The company had been in Decatur since 1939, when construction commenced on the site's world's largest solvent extraction plant.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Several people injured in central Illinois plant explosion, fire - From ABC 7 Chicago