State fire marshal investigates fire that destroyed Deli Star plant in Fayetteville
The Deli Star Corp. plant in Fayetteville was destroyed in a Monday night fire being investigated by the Illinois State Fire Marshal.
Residents are under a water boil order Tuesday because of low pressure caused by volume of water firefighters needed to control the blaze at at 2516 Main Ave., according to report from KMOV.
Fayetteville Fire Chief Randy Vasquez said no one was injured in the fire.
Vasquez met with employees who said there were six workers on duty at the time the fire broke out.
“They said the building was clear, everybody was out,” Vasquez said.
When firefighters arrived at about 10:10 p.m., they encountered “heavy fire, already through the roof,” Vasquez said.
The firefighters needed so much water to battle the blaze that they used the Fayetteville Fire Department’s specialized boat to pump water from the nearby Kaskaskia River onto tankers, which then drove to the Deli Star plant. Vasquez said this was the first time his department had to use the boat in this type of incident.
A spokesman for the Illinois State Fire Marshal said the office was investigating the cause of the fire but did not have additional information to report.
KMOV also reported that there was a fire in a farmhouse located less than three miles from the Deli Star fire but it was not known if these fires were connected.
Deli Star has processed multiple types of cooked beef, chicken, pork and turkey in its plant, which the company took over in 1989, according to a News-Democrat article covering the company’s 30th anniversary in 2017. The firm had commercial customers across the country and with the military, the article stated.
“We are thankful no one was injured during this incident and we are grateful to the fire departments from Fayetteville and the surrounding municipalities for bringing the fire under control,” Deli Star said in a statement released Tuesday.
“We will work with local authorities and inspectors to determine the cause of the fire, and we appreciate the support of our neighbors during this time.”
The fire did not reach the plant’s iconic signs that feature large, black cows along Main Avenue.
Multiple fire departments provided assistance at the scene or provided backup services for departments at the scene. Vasquez said the fire departments included St. Libory, New Athens, Hecker, Mascoutah, Smithton, Lebanon, Marissa, O’Fallon, Tilden, Red Bud, Swansea, Sparta and Columbia.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
