Five trucks or other apparatus from several firefighting agencies, including some from Jefferson County, were stranded for almost a day after responding Monday to the scene of a fire at the Holcim cement plant in Bloomsdale, said Dale Whitener, chief of the Kinsey Volunteer Fire Department based in Bloomsdale.
He said Kinsey Fire received a call at 1:40 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, about the fire, and firefighting crews from several other agencies responded to the scene to help Kinsey Fire with the call.
“(The Jefferson R-7 Fire District) arrived first and reported heavy fire showing from a belt at a silo at the barge harbor,” Whitener said. “It was a fight to obtain access to the belt because it was in an enclosed area.”
Whitener said the fire caused the belt system on the silo to break down and fall, leaving the five fire apparatus blocked from leaving until early this afternoon, Feb. 18. The apparatus were from Jefferson R-7 and De Soto Rural fire protection districts, and Weingarten Volunteer, Festus and Goose Creek fire departments.
The Burlington Northern railroad tracks in the area also were blocked, Whitener said.
He said Holcim had to call in a company with special equipment to remove the debris and free the firetrucks.
He said no injuries were reported.
Whitener said firefighters remained on the scene until about 9 p.m. Monday, leaving with the fire contained, but not completely extinguished.
“When we left, the fire was still burning,” he said. “There was no danger of it spreading to other buildings at the facility. We left it with Holcim employees. What was burning could not be reached safely due to the collapse of the belt system. We’re going back this afternoon.”
Whitener said the fire is contained to the silo, and all other operations at the facility are not affected.
He said the height of the silo made it more difficult to fight the blaze.
“I’d estimate it’s around 150 feet tall – definitely 100-foot-plus,” he said.
Whitener said the Jefferson R-7, De Soto Rural and Big River fire protection districts and the Festus, Ste. Genevieve City, Goose Creek, Bloomsdale, Weingarten and Zell fire departments, along with several other agencies, helped with the call.