A man doing contract work at the Progress Energy cement plant was injured following a fire at approximately 11 a.m. today at the company’s cement plant in Crystal River.
According to Mike Hughes, Progress Energy Florida spokesperson, the man was working for a contractor assisting with repairs when there was an electrical flash as he was working on or near an electrical panel.
The arc also caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished by Progress Energy personnel. The worker, who has not yet been identified, was burned in the incident, and had to be airlifted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville for treatment. There were no other injuries, Hughes said.
Citrus County spokesman Jim Hunter said Citrus County Fire Rescue had also responded when the fire broke out, but the fire had already been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived. County EMS personnel also responded to provide any needed assistance as well, he said.
Hughes said the area where the incident occurred has been shut down while an investigation determines the cause of the mishap.






