Date: January 3, 2019
Location: Fair Oaks, Arkansas (USA)
Address: 4 Co Rd 503, 72101
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Grain Processing (Agriculture)
Equipment: Grain Dryer
Company: Riceland Foods Inc.
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to its company page, Riceland Foods Inc. was established in 1921 and is one of the largest miller and marketer of rice in the world. Headquartered in Stuttgart, Arkansas, it consists of over 9,000 farmer-members in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. Each year, Riceland Foods Inc. receives, stores, transports, processes and markets more than 125 million bushels of grain, equivalent to roughly 25 percent of the total United States crop.
Incident Description:
On January 3, 2019, KAIT 8 reported a fire at grain cooperative in Fair Oaks, Arkansas.
Firefighters from Hickory Ridge, Wynne, Fair Oaks and Hunter responded to the incident. The Wynne assistant fire chief reported that crews arrived soon after 1:30 p.m. and fought the fire for most of the day.
The Arkansas State Fire Fighter Association/East Central District stated on its Facebook page that the fire is believed to have started when wet soybeans were taken to the silo and dried, the process of which can “make them become explosive.”
No injuries were reported and the vale of any property damage is unknown.
Sources:
KAIT 8
Arkansas State Fire Fighter Association/East Central District Facebook page
