BUCKLEY, Mich. – A cherry processing plant in the northern Lower Peninsula community of Buckley was mostly destroyed in an explosion, but no one was injured.
The 10,000-square-foot Leelanau Fruit Co. plant burst into flame Monday afternoon and burned for hours.
Company owner Glenn LaCross tells the Traverse City Record-Eagle the blast probably was caused by combustion of hot bleaches used for processing sweet cherries into maraschino cherries.
Two employees were mixing solutions for bleaching cherries when cans of chemicals ignited. The workers escaped unharmed.
LaCross says he plans to rebuild. In the meantime, he'll keep operations going by shifting production to the company's main warehouse in Suttons Bay.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox