BCP Plant in Verona catches fire

Aurora Rural, Freistatt fire departments put out blaze
The Aurora Rural Fire Protection District and the Freistatt Fire Department put out a fire that ignited at the BCP Ingredients Plant in Verona on Sunday, May 5.
Plant employees helped to contain the blaze in what Aaron Siegrist, chief of the ARFPD, called a “joint operation,” though he also said that the firefighters from Aurora and Freistatt ultimately put out the fire.
“We were there for about four hours last night,” he said.
Siegrist also stated that the fire started in the plant’s dryer, and that it was under investigation by BCP. He additionally confirmed that no one was hurt in the fire.
A post to the ARFPD Facebook page described what happened.
“Crews on scene at BCP Ingredients were able to make a quick knock down of the fire,” the post read. “The fire occurred in the building that grinds and dries corn cobs. The fire was in the dryer. At this time the cause is under investigation.”
In response to a media inquiry, BCP released the following statement:
“On May 5th, a small fire started in the animal feed drying production area at the BCP Ingredients Verona, Missouri site,” it said. “In this area we dry choline, an essential nutrient for production and companion animals, on ground corn cob. The fire was contained to the animal feed drying production area and the related process equipment. BCP’s employees were able to quickly contain and extinguish the fire, however, the Aurora Rural Fire Department was called out of an abundance of caution. Most importantly, all employees in the affected area were safely evacuated and there were no injuries. After evaluating the site, the fire department indicated that there was no danger to the public and the damage to the equipment appeared to be minimal. All appropriate authorities were notified about the fire, and we have initiated a thorough root-cause analysis to determine the exact cause of the fire. BCP remains committed to ensuring our facility remains safe for our employees and surrounding community.”