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More than two dozen local firefighters were treated and released from a local hospital after a fire Wednesday, Jan. 15, at Tyson Foods’ Berryville plant.
Mike McKelvey, director of the Carroll County Office of Emergency Management, said the fire began at 6:58 p.m.
“The fire was in one of the rooms in the back,” McKelvey said.
Firefighters from Berryville, Green Forest, Eureka Springs and Oak Grove responded, McKelvey said, along with personnel from Southern EMS, the Berryville Police Department and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
Police officers closed streets and directed traffic near the plant. Tyson employees could be seen outside the plant along with a crowd of onlookers.
McKelvey said firefighters were treated at the scene and at Mercy hospital in Berryville after experiencing burning sensations.
“After the fire was knocked out and contained, we had some firefighters starting to feel some burning sensation,” McKelvey said. “At that point, we switched to a hazmat situation. We noticed that the gear was starting to deteriorate and we started deconning people right there and then transporting them to Mercy and then Mercy deconned them.” McKelvey said 25 firefighters were treated and released. He confirmed that the chemical involved was sodium hydroxide, also known as caustic soda or lye.
Berryville Fire Chief Matt Hunnicutt said it took three to four hours to extinguish the fire.
“It was a pretty significant fire,” Hunnicutt said. “It was a pretty tough one.”
Hunnicutt said the firefighters’ injuries were minor.
Both McKelvey and Hunnicutt said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A Tyson Foods spokesperson issued a brief statement by email.
“We appreciate the quick response from emergency personnel following a fire at our Berryville facility on Wednesday evening,” the statement says. “The fire was extinguished, and we have resumed operations. The safety of our team members and the community is our top priority, and we are working closely with authorities to determine the cause of the incident.”
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