Midwest biofuels plant explosion, building collapse leaves 3 dead, including 2 children

At least three people are dead, including two children, after a dramatic explosion Tuesday afternoon at a Nebraska biofuels plant.

The blast at Horizon Biofuels, which was captured on nearby security cameras, showed the brick building bursting into flames. Black smoke was later seen billowing from the building.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire is still active, and crews were unable to enter.

Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said during a news conference the explosion happened just before noon Tuesday, and responding firefighters noticed the building collapsed.

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A male employee and his two young daughters may have been in an office area near the company’s grain bin at the time of the explosion, Spellerberg said. 

The two girls, under the age of 12, were waiting for their father to get off work to go to a doctor’s appointment, according to officials.

Nebraska State Patrol, the Nebraska State Fire Marshal, Nebraska Task Force One and nine volunteer fire departments assisted in fighting the blaze and assessing the building to ensure it is safe to enter.

“We were unable to gain access early on,” said Fremont Fire Chief Todd Bernt. “We tried to get access, but just due to the collapse, with the mangled steel, we were unable to get inside. … That’s when we made the call for [the] task force to come in.”

Drones have been used to survey the area, according to Spellerberg.

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The plant, which also had a fire in 2014, stored wood and fuel pellets, according to officials. 

A three-mile radius around the site remains blocked off.

“My heart hurts,” Spellerberg said. “It’s a tragedy. We pray for all the families involved. … We have every resource that we can coming to this site, so we will just continue to do that. We’ll continue to pray, lift up the families involved and we’ll continue to rally around them.”

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said his office offered help to the city located roughly 30 miles northwest of Omaha.

“We will continue to closely monitor the explosion in Fremont in coordination with local responders, law enforcement, and state partners,” Pillen wrote in an X post. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all involved—and we’re ready to help any way we can.”

Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., also posted to X, noting he is in contact with local officials.

“My team will be working to support their response to the explosion at Horizon Biofuels,” Flood wrote. “Our prayers are with the people of the City of Fremont, Dodge County, and the first responders on the scene.”

The Nebraska State Patrol did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital.