An Iowa firefighter was killed and another was hurt following a Saturday morning explosion while they were battling a fire at a grain silo storage bin.
The initial fire started around 5:45 a.m. at an Archer Daniels Midland plant in Clinton, IA, the Clinton Herald reports. The Clinton Fire Department was called to the scene, and an explosion happened a couple hours into fighting the fire.
Two Clinton firefighters — identified as Lt. Eric Hosette and firefighter Adam Cain, according to KWQC-TV — were taken to the hospital following the blast. However, Hosette, a 33-year-old — succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
Immediately after the explosion, firefighters couldn't find Cain. But once he was located, he was airlifted to an Iowa City hospital in critical condition but is now stable.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of these brave firefighters,” Jackie Anderson, of ADM's media relations department, said in a statement to the Clinton Herald. “We greatly appreciate the quick response, bravery and dedication of all of the emergency responders today. We are deeply saddened at the turn of events. We are investigating the cause and assessing the damage to our facility.”
