GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Locked-out union workers at American Crystal Sugar Co. are blaming fires at plants in Drayton and in East Grand Forks on inexperienced replacement workers hired to take over harvesting duties.

Company spokesman Jeff Schweitzer said the fires happened in pulp dryers Thursday at the plant in Drayton and on Friday at the East Grand Forks plant. No one was hurt.

East Grand Forks Fire Chief Randy Gust says a pulp dryer fire isn’t unusual and that his department responds to about one each year.

Union spokesman Mark Froemke says the company won’t share information about the fires. The union has argued that only their workers have the experience to run the plants.