Fire at JBS Grand Isle, NE. Beef Plant
Grand Isle Fire Department responded to a fire located in the rendering section of the JBS plant late on Sunday night, September 12th. As of 11h00 the following morning new firefighting teams replaced the first responders who had difficulty extinguishing the blaze in insulation situated within the roof and wall structures of the affected area. No injuries were reported among either first responders or workers.
Both shifts on Monday, September 13th were cancelled but operations resumed on Tuesday. Since the fire was confined to the rendering area, slaughter and fabrication could proceed. The plant has a nominal capacity of 5,500 to 6,000 head per day, representing approximately five percent of U.S. slaughter.
A prolonged interruption in processing would have disrupted the supply chain as occurred following the fire in the Tyson Foods, Holcomb, KS plant on August 9th 2019, that affected a more critical area of operation.