Lightning May Have Sparked Piper City Plant Fire

Authorities are investigating whether lightning was to blame for a fire at a north-central Illinois soybean plant.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois State fire marshal's office tells the Bloomington Pantagraph that authorities are still waiting for a final report from insurance investigators.

But a lighting strike may have ignited last week's fire, which prompted a partial evacuation in thetiny village of Piper City.

A school district canceled classes as a precaution after smoke was seen coming from the Precision Soya plant.

At the time, investigators said they believed a chemical - aluminum phosphide - may have reacted with water from a leaking roof.  No one was injured.