No one injured from fire at Buzzi Unicem

Cape Girardeau and Scott City firefighters responded to a fire Friday night at the Buzzi Unicem Alternative Fuels facility in south Cape Girardeau.

Upon arrival just after 8 p.m. at the facility, 2524 S. Sprigg St., firefighters found light smoke coming from a semitruck and trailer in the fuel unloading area, according to an incident report from Cape Girardeau battalion chief Randy Morris. The sprinkler system had been activated and foam was flowing, the report stated. Fire personnel set up for a foam operation and extinguished a small fire coming from the semitruck, which contained waste oil.

The waste oil and foam were held in a containment area and did not pose any life or environmental concerns, according to the report. The Alternative Fuels facility uses waste oils to power the Buzzi Unicem plant in place of coal, Morris said in the report.

Because of below-freezing temperatures at the time of the fire, ice was formed, creating slip hazards for firefighters, the report stated.

Morris said the Alternative Fuels facility has participated in tours and drills with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and the Regional Homeland Security Response Team, which helped save time during this actual emergency situation.