Fire at La Crosse fuels plant extinguished

Updated: 10 a.m. | Posted: 8:30 a.m.

Firefighters in La Crosse, Wisconsin, have contained a blaze that erupted from an explosion at a fuels plant.

Officials say the explosion and fire erupted in an above-ground tank containing an unknown amount of diesel fuel and asphalt at Midwest Fuels Wednesday about 7 a.m.

La Crosse Fire Capt. Dan Skiles says one person was transported to the hospital with an injury. He says firefighters poured foam into the tank to smother the blaze and keep it from spreading to at least four other tanks around it.

Residents of the neighborhood were told to stay indoors because of air quality concerns. That advisory was lifted about 2 hours later.

Skiles says the initial explosion could be felt for miles. He says firefighters were also concerned the blaze might spread to the Hydrite Chemical Co. next door.