Date: July 27, 2020
Location: Sibley, Iowa (USA)
Address: 1020 4th Ave, 51249
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Dried Egg Yolk
Industry: Food Drying (Food Processing)
Equipment: Dryer
Company: Iowa Drying and Processing LLP
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Between $2.5 and $3 million USD
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to its website, Iowa Drying and Processing LLP is a food drying facility in Sibley, Iowa. It specializes in the manufacturing, processing, and storage of food and feed grade products. Although independently owned and operated, Iowa Drying and Processing collaborates closely with North Central Companies, a leader in the agricultural, chemical, and feed product industries.
Incident Description:
On July 28, 2020, KIWA Radio reported a dryer fire at a food drying plant in Sibley, Iowa.
An employee called 911 to report the fire shortly after 8:00 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they could see smoke issuing from the roof area on the southeast side of the building.
An employee told them the fire was in a dryer that was being used to dry egg yolk. The dryer had been turned off about an hour earlier, and its temperature gauge showed 450 degrees at that time. When they checked on it an hour later, the temperature gauge still indicated 450 degrees. When the employee opened the dryer to see why the temperature hadn’t gone down, he discovered flames inside.
According to the Sibley Fire Chief, when the dryer dries liquid egg yolk, some powder falls onto the floor of the drying bin and gets baked in the heat. He said that old yolk dust ignited in this case, and the system suction drew the flames into the vent system, igniting the building’s roof.
Fortunately, some of the firefighters were former plant employees who knew the building’s layout. With help from the Ashton and Sheldon Fire Departments, they used approximately 500 linear feet of hose to tackle the interior and fought the flames from above using an aerial ladder.
It took 33 firefighters nearly three hours to get the fire under control. They poured close to 150,000 gallons of water onto the flames. No injuries were reported, but damage to the structure and equipment is estimated between $2.5 and $3-million.
OSHA Inspections:
An establishment search turned up one OSHA inspection dated February 18, 2016, but it was not flagged for combustible dust.
Sources:
KIWA Radio
