Fire breaks out at Gibson City plant

An industrial fire broke out Monday afternoon at the IFF soybean plant in Gibson City.

Smoke could be seen throughout the area and the local school district even kept students inside until the smoke cleared. Multiple crews responded to the blaze.

“At approximately 12:30 p.m., a fire started in the bean dryer at IFF’s Gibson City plant which manufactures proteins and oils,” said a statement from IFF. “The team immediately contacted the local fire department which arrived on the scene and are working to extinguish the fire.”

No injuries were reported and the company has yet to determine the amount of damage to the property.

“Currently, our operations at our Gibson City facility are shut down. We will work with authorities to investigate the cause,” added the company.

As of late Monday afternoon, the fire was under control but firefighters were expected to remain at the scene throughout the night to check for hotspots.

IFF, or International Flavors & Fragrances, is an American company with locations around the world that creates products across texture, taste, scent, enzymes, soy proteins, nutrition and probiotics categories which it markets all over. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a member of the S&P 500 Index.

The company’s website indicates they have been focused on finding innovative solutions to help bring “better for you” products to market for over 130 years. The site also says the product portfolio is the most robust in the industry as they have leadership positions across various categories.