The fire that swept through a salt manufacturing plant in Utah has prompted a lawsuit by one of the men who was in charge of the factory.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Salt Lake City businessman Kevin McBride has sued Salt Lake Salt & Co., the company that owns the Salt Lake facility, claiming the fire caused him and a co-worker to lose their lives.
McBride and his co-defendant, William Buhler, were the main leaders of the Salt River Salt Company, which manufactured salt and processed the condensate used to make salt for the food and beverage industry.
McBride, a former member of the Utah House of Representatives, was a founding member of Salt Lake Business Council.
Buhlers brother, Jason, was the company’s president.
According to the Tribune, the lawsuit alleges that the Salt Co. failed to warn its managers about a potential fire hazard.
Salt Lake City police were alerted to the fire by a Salt Co employee, but McBride and Buhlters lawyers say they were told that a fire was already burning in the building, according to the newspaper.
The fire eventually consumed the Salt Corp. Salt plant, a joint venture between Salt Corp and a company called Utah Salt <d.
It is owned by Salt Corp., which is based in Salt Lake.
Salt Lake Salt Corp said in a statement that it has since taken steps to prevent similar events in the future and has launched a full-scale fire suppression program.
The Salt Co.’s CEO, Gary D. Koepp, has been placed on paid leave.
“Our hearts are with the families of the victims and the victims’ loved ones as they begin to heal and rebuild their lives,” said Utah Salt Corp CEO Greg Gage in a news release.
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