The demolition was needed because insulation was slowly burning inside the concrete walls of the former Emge plant, said Pete Lewis, Fort Branch fire chief. The fire was reported June 19 and continued smoldering until the building was demolished June 22.
Fire inspectors have not determined what caused the fire, which is believed to have started in an area without electricity, said Gibson County emergency management director Terry Hedges. In 1999, Excel Corp. closed the plant and it no longer owns the site in the town, which is located about 20 miles north of Evansville, Ind.
