MOMENCE — Multiple fire departments battled a fire Sunday morning at the Van Drunen Farms Tuthill Plant on the east side of the city.
The fire broke out at 6:08 a.m. Sunday at the 11341 E. Illinois Route 114 facility, with an emergency monitoring service triggering an alarm, according to a statement released by Van Drunen.
“Emergency crews from multiple districts were on site immediately,” that statement said. “The cause of the fire and extent of the damage have not yet been determined.”
Firefighters worked into the afternoon to extinguish hot spots in the plant and had to return to the site at 6:30 p.m. for a rekindle. Fire crews were on scene for a total of 9.5 hours.
“No one was in the plant at the time the fire started, so there were no injuries to any employees,” the Van Drunen statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the first responders and with the many Van Drunen Farms employees who would call this plant their own.”
The Tuthill facility is a freeze-dried ingredient production facility that employs 123 people. The site was formerly owned by the Tuthill Spring Company and has been under Van Drunen Farms ownership for several years.
“This is a tragic loss for this community,” Momence Mayor Chuck Steele said. “Van Drunen Farms plays a big role in this community. It’s heartbreaking to see this happen to anyone.”
Steele said he was grateful for the support of the local fire departments.
Temperatures are in the high teens and low twenties with single-digit wind chill readings.