Fire Marshall: Leaking propane tank likely cause of early morning Smith Creamery explosion

Damage at Mt. Hermon's
Smith Creamery
(Daylife photo)

MT. HERMON — Smith Creamery, a family owned business with a large following, was destroyed by an explosion about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday that the State Fire Marshall said Wednesday night he believes was caused by a leaking propane tank. No one was injured in the explosion.

Owner Warren Smith told WDSU-TV he heard an explosion and ran out to see three transformers sparking. He said he is "heartbroken." The dairy has a large customer base on the Northshore, in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Smith said he hopes his customers understand that his business will be offline for a while, but he plans to work to get the dairy back on its feet. The dairy is located on Mt. Pisgah Road, north of Highway 38 and east of Mt. Hermon.

Smith Creamery’s products were in great demand and available in a number of locations in New Orleans, including Whole Foods and the Crescent City Farmer’s Market. The dairy also has a large following in the Baton Rouge market.

The Smiths have been in the dairy business 42 years and are one of the few family-owned and operated dairies left in the state. Their milk is slow-pasteurized, not homogenized, so the cream still rises to the top. Additionally, the milk comes from grass fed cows, which means a more natural product for consumers.

In the early 2000’s, the Smiths had worked to expand their business so as to be able to keep up with demand and, in 2004, was granted a loan of $99,963 through the USDA-funded Washington Parish Revolving Loan Fund.

The Smiths met their loan obligations and continued to grow their business, battling through myriad problems created by Hurricane Katrina.

The early morning explosion inside the 5,000-square-foot building scattered debris more than a quarter-mile away.