Roe's son Brad became the leader at the new plant as operations manager several years after it opened another family member, James Neal Hair, worked as his deputy as plant manager. Seven of the changes that were made to the building required permits by law, but Roe never applied for them. The building was extensively renovated before becoming operational and expanded from 21,300 square feet (2,000 m 2) to 37,000 square feet (3,400 m 2). A one-story building of bricks and metalwork, the plant's basic structure dated back to the early 20th century. The facility was situated in a predominantly African American area of Hamlet. The location was chosen for its proximity to poultry suppliers and markets, and for North Carolina's lower labor costs relative to the rest of the United States. Roe purchased the largely decommissioned Mello-Buttercup Ice Cream plant, located along Bridges Street in Hamlet, North Carolina, in September 1980. The corporation supplied grocery stores and distributors with chicken products. Roe founded Imperial Food Products Incorporated (commonly called Imperial) in Moosic, Pennsylvania in the 1970s after acquiring a food processing plant from his former employer, Empire Frozen Foods.
Survivors suffered long-term adverse health effects, including respiratory ailments, muscular injuries, and cognitive impairments. The plant permanently closed and Imperial Food Products, fined a record-high state-imposed $808,150 penalty (equivalent to $1,607,810 in 2021) for safety violations, declared bankruptcy. Of those who died, 18 were female and 7 were male one was a vending machine deliveryman and the rest were Imperial workers. Most of the dead were killed by smoke inhalation. Firefighters brought the fire under control by 10:00 a.m.
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One maintenance worker kicked through a locked door to free himself and some of his coworkers. A delivery truck at the loading dock and a dumpster were moved to create openings.
Over 100 medical and emergency service personnel ultimately responded. Brad Roe (Emmett's son and the company's operations manager) drove to the local fire station for help since the telephone line had burned firefighters reached the scene at 8:27 am and sent a mutual aid call to other fire departments. Some were able to escape through the plant's front door, while others could not leave due to locked or obstructed exits. There were 90 workers in the plant at the time.
Fire engulfed the facility in minutes, severing telephone lines and filling the plant with hydrocarbon-charged smoke and carbon monoxide. The fluid vaporized and was ignited by the fryer's flame. On September 3 at around 8:15 am, they turned on the conveyor belt after altering the line it separated from its connection and spewed hydraulic fluid around the room. In September, the plant's maintenance workers attempted to replace a leaking hydraulic line, attached to the conveyor belt which fed chicken tenders into a fryer in the processing room, with improvised parts. For reasons that remain disputed, Roe ordered several exterior doors of the plant locked in the summer of 1991-including a labeled fire exit-in violation of federal safety regulations and without notifying most workers. The company had a poor safety record at one of its other plants, and the Hamlet building lacked a fire alarm or an operational fire sprinkler system. Imperial Food Products was a corporation owned by Emmett Roe, who acquired the Hamlet facility in 1980 to produce chicken products. It was the second deadliest industrial disaster in North Carolina's history. The fire killed 25 people and injured 54, many of whom were unable to escape due to locked exits.
Despite three previous fires in 11 years of operation, the plant had never received a safety inspection. On September 3, 1991, an industrial fire caused by an improvised repair to a hydraulic line destroyed the Imperial Food Products chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina. Uncoupled hose leaking hydraulic fluid ignited by fryer, workers were trapped by locked doorsġ9 years, 11 months (paroled after about 4 years)
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