The president of Tyson's Fresh Meats Division says a spark from welding during maintenance likely caused the fire that heavily damaged the company's plant near Holcomb in Finney County.
At a Wednesday afternoon briefing with state and local officials, the company reaffirmed its commitment to rebuild. The company says it is working to get the plant up and running again "as quickly as possible."
The square footage of the damaged area is small compared to the entire plant, but Tyson says the fire impacted critical operating systems.
Tyson says structural work can begin immediately, but other repairs, particularly electrical, will likely take more time. The company says it's completing a full assessment of the plant with electrical and structural engineers on site.