An eastern Iowa firefighter died and another was injured Saturday, while battling a blaze at Archer Daniels Midland’s Clinton facility.  Officials with the Clinton Fire Department report 33-year old Eric Hosette died Saturday morning while trying to extinguish the fire in Clinton. Hosette was with the fire department for 12 years and was promoted to Lieutenant in 2017. Another firefighter, Adam Cain, was injured in the incident. He is in critical but stable condition in Iowa City. The cause of the fire and subsequent explosion remains under investigation.

Clinton, IA Firefighter Eric Hosette

According to reports, ADM employees discovered smoldering material just before 6 a.m. in one of the silo storage bins at the loading facility before an explosion occurred. ADM officials have expressed their condolences to the families of the firefighters, saying the first responders “put their lives in danger every day, and it’s hard to express how much we appreciate their selfless help in a time of need.”