MARENGO, IOWA — A portion of the town of Marengo has been evacuated on Thursday as firefighters battle a massive industrial fire on the east end of town.

The city sent out an alert on Facebook at 11:32 a.m. telling residents to avoid the 800 block of East South Street. That is the approximate address of the Heartland Crush soybean facility. The plant processes soybeans for biofuel production.

The Iowa State Patrol reports that around 30 people were inside the building when the fire and explosions were reported. They all made it out of the building alive. Several people were taken to the hospital with injuries. The number of injured and the severity of their injuries hasn’t been released.

Multiple people have been evacuated from their homes. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who has been evacuated from their home to please go to the Iowa County Transportation Building at 1680 Franklyn Avenue in Marengo.

The Iowa State Patrol says it is monitoring air and water quality as chemicals potentially burn and runoff inside the building. The City of Marengo has already warned residents that drinking water may have a brown tint due to the excessive water used to fight the fire on Thursday.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities are asking anyone in the area who may have seen or heard something at the plant this morning to please contact the Iowa County Sheriff’s Office or Marengo Police.