Fire devastated a recycling plant north of Albert Lea early Sunday, with two of its three buildings a total loss.
Recycling plant near Albert Lea goes up in flames
Neighbors heard a loud bang and saw flames shortly before 4 a.m.
January 8, 2024 at 10:08PM
The Freeborn County Sheriff's Office said neighbors heard a loud bang and noticed flames at Green Group Reprocessing near Clarks Grove just before 4 a.m. Sunday, prompting firefighters from every department in the county to respond.
Firefighters had to use thousands of gallons of water to put the blaze out by noon, prompting an investigation by both a state fire marshal and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency over how the water runoff will affect the area.
Chief Deputy Tim Bennett said the fire likely started in the facility's north building and spread east, sparing a southern structure from serious damage due to the wind at the time.
It's too soon to tell how the fire started or whether it was an accident, according to Bennett. But deputies say a car was seen speeding away from the area around 3:30 a.m.
A fire marshal was at the scene yesterday but investigative efforts were stymied by the massive amount of water used to put out the blaze freezing in place.
"He may not have an answer for us for quite a while," Bennett said.
It's unclear how much the damages will cost the plant, which reprocesses twine. Owner David Nix could not be reached for comment.
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