Two Westar Energy employees have died from injuries sustained Sunday at the Jeffrey Energy Center in St. Mary’s including one from Osage County.
Operations supervisors Craig Burchett of Overbrook and Jesse Henson of Manhattan were critically injured when a piece of equipment with high-pressure steam behind it apparently failed. The incident happened around 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Burchett and Henson were transported by helicopter to the University of Kansas Medical Center, where they were treated for severe burns and died later that evening.
Westar Energy Senior Vice President of Generation John Bridson issued a statement Monday saying “All of us who worked with Craig and Jesse are grieving and thinking of their families as we cope with this loss.”
Jeffrey Energy Center is Westar’s largest power plant with three generating units. All three units are shut down while the full circumstances of the incident are reviewed. The company plans to resume operations at the plant when it can safely do so.
