A bale fire at the POET Bioprocessing plant near Emmetsburg has been burning since Monday night, but local officials say it is under control. Emmetsburg Mayor Patrick Degen says they have been working with POET to keep the fire from spreading.
The bales are corn stover that is turned into ethanol. Degen says he recognizes the stress and inconvenience that the smoke has had on residents.
This is the second fire at the plant this year. Another bale fire broke out in February. POET released a statement Thursday saying “We appreciate the public’s patience, and we anticipate the effects will decrease over the next several days. Once the immediate incident is resolved, we will assess the damage and possible causes of the accident.”
