IA Firefighter Killed Following Clinton ADM Facility Explosion Identified As Eric Hosette

CLINTON, IA. (THECOUNT) — Eric Hosette has been identified as the Clinton, Iowa, firefighter killed following an explosion at an ADM facility, Saturday morning.

In a news conference, Fire Chief Mike Brown said Lt. said, Hosette, 33, was severely injured after an explosion rocked the property on 1811 South 4th Street. Hosette was taken to Mercy Medical where medical crews tried to revive him but were unsuccessful.

“Had been on our department for 12 years,” Brown said, holding back tears at the news conference. “A fine man with a wife and daughter.” source

In a statement, ADM, a global food processing and commodities trading company, said it was sending thoughts and prayers to the families of the brave firefighters.

“They 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,” read the statement. “We greatly appreciate the quick response, bravery and dedication of all of the emergency responders today. We are deeply saddened at the turn of events.”

The cause of the fire and subsequent explosion are still under investigation. City Administrator Matt Brooke said he couldn’t go into much further detail, but acknowledged the company would be working with authorities to determine what went wrong at the Clinton facility.

Clinton is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,885 as of 2010. Clinton, along with DeWitt, Iowa, was named in honor of the sixth governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton, according to Wikipedia.