Wisconsin dairy plant fire wreaks havoc on drains; melted butter creates clogging
Time to Read: 2 minute
As the fire consumed part of the structure, the butter ran down the drain and into waterways, forcing emergency crews to look at options to contain the grease. The level of damage caused is still being assessed
A dairy plant caught fire in central Wisconsin on Monday night and was initially controlled, but what no one expected was that the molten contents of a butter-filled storage room would end up down the drain and as it cooled, It became a huge stopper.
According to official data, the thick liquid seeped into surrounding storm drains, as well as a large canal adjacent to the business, eventually clogging the waterway despite efforts by crews to contain the spread.
Butter fills canal after fire at Wisconsin dairy plant https://t.co/WJjharexMp
— Shawn Cabbagestalk (@CabbageTV) January 4, 2023
The fire broke out at a dairy processing and packaging plant owned by Associated Milk Producers Inc. in Portage, Wisconsin, a small town located about 50 miles north of Madison, around 9 p.m. local time, the Fire Department wrote. of Portage.
Firefighters dispatched to the scene that night reported heavy smoke and visible fire on the roof of the multi-story concrete structure when they arrived. Authorities said response teams were initially unable to access the building because they “were pushed back by heat and smoke.”
Authorities determined that the fire started inside a room in the plant where the butter was stored and that the runoff occurred as a result of increased heat throughout the building. The cause of the fire itself remains under investigation, the fire department said. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
After working to fight the fire for “several hours,” firefighters from several area departments were able to contain and extinguish the fire “before it could spread beyond the fire breaks and throughout the building,” the Portage Fire Department, emphasized that “butter runoff and dense smoke slowed down access to the structure.”
Given the situation, barriers and other absorbents were placed to control runoff according to the fire department, now it will be the turn of the Department of Natural Resources to assess the damage to drains and waterways.