Grand Forks Plant Fire Sends Worker to Hospital

GRAND FORKS, ND – (trfnews.i234.me) – An industrial fire at the Red River Potatoes plant sent one employee to the hospital Monday night.

Firefighters rushed to 2250 Mill Road around 9:10 p.m. on November 9, 2026, after workers reported a fire inside the facility.

Emergency crews arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from the building.

Firefighters located flames inside a large industrial dryer used in the manufacturing process.

Heavy Smoke Greets Firefighters

According to the Grand Forks Fire Department, employees reported an active fire inside the industrial building.

Responding crews encountered heavy smoke as they worked to locate the source.

Firefighters discovered the fire was burning inside a large industrial dryer.

Crews worked to contain the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to other areas of the facility.

The fire was successfully extinguished.

One plant employee was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation following the incident.

Officials did not immediately release details about the employee’s condition.

The fire department also did not specify whether the employee suffered burns, smoke inhalation, or another medical issue.

No firefighters were injured during the emergency response.

The Grand Forks Fire Department dispatched 17 firefighters to the scene.

The emergency response included five fire engines, one ladder truck, and a command vehicle.

Firefighters received assistance from the Grand Forks Police Department, Altru Ambulance, and representatives from the facility.

Crews contained the fire before it spread beyond the affected industrial equipment.

Officials reported that damage was limited to the dryer involved in the incident.

Following the emergency response, the Grand Forks Fire Department investigated the cause of the fire.

Investigators determined that the industrial dryer fire was accidental.

Authorities did not immediately provide additional details explaining how the fire started.

The estimated cost of the equipment damage was not released.

It was also unclear whether the incident would affect normal operations at the Red River Potatoes facility.

Despite the heavy smoke, firefighters successfully prevented the flames from spreading to other parts of the building.

The incident remains notable because one employee required hospital evaluation following the fire.

Additional details about the response were reported by Valley News Live.

Further information is available through WDAY Radio.

I’m Adrian Cole reporting for TRF News.

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