On Sunday, July 9, an explosion and subsequent fire caused significant damage to the Ringneck Energy ethanol plant in Onida, South Dakota. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as local authorities and emergency responders took swift action.
The Onida Fire Department received a distress call at 1:02 p.m., alerting them to a major explosion and active fire in the ethanol processing area of the plant. They arrived at the scene to combat the blaze. At 4:30 p.m., the Sully County Sheriff's Office took over the site, ensuring its security until investigators from the South Dakota Fire Marshal's office arrive on Monday.
Witnesses in the vicinity of the plant reported feeling the impact of the explosion, with houses in the central South Dakota town shaking as a result. To ensure everyone's safety, the city of Onida issued a message via Facebook, advising people to stay away from the plant.
The Onida Fire Department, along with other agencies, responded to the fire, including Onida Ambulance, Blunt Fire, Pierre Rural, Pierre Fire, Pierre Rescue, and Sully County Sheriff's Department.
The Ringneck Energy ethanol plant, which is part of the Renewable Products Marketing Group based in Shakopee, Minnesota, commenced production in 2019. At that time, it processed 80,000 bushels of corn daily, yielding 225,000 gallons of ethanol. The incident marks a setback for the plant's operations. Investigations will hopefully shed light on the cause of the explosion.
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Categories: South Dakota, General