Fremont (NE) plant explosion 'should not have happened', federal board finds
Source: Omaha World Herald
Dan Crisler Sep 17, 2025 Updated 52 mins ago
The explosion and fire in the Horizon Biofuels wood pellet plant in Fremont, which took the lives of a father and his two young daughters, on July 29 was preventable, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said Wednesday.
The board’s preliminary investigation found evidence pointing to the accumulation, dispersion and ignition of combustible wood dust as being the cause of the explosion.
“This terrible tragedy should not have happened,” Steve Owens, chair of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, said in a press release. “Preliminary evidence points to a combustible wood dust explosion, a well known — and completely avoidable — hazard in wood processing.”
The board’s investigation noted the incident began shortly before noon on July 29 when dust or smoke suddenly was released from the plant’s tower. The release was quickly followed by flames and a much larger blast that “caused significant structural damage,” according to the board’s statement.
Smoke still emanates from the tower at the Horizon Biofuel plant two days after an explosion and fire killed three people in Fremont on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
CHRIS MACHIAN, THE WORLD-HERALD
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