Date: January 4, 2018
Location: East Grand Forks, Minnesota (USA)
Address: 316 5th Ave NE, 56721
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Milling (Food Processing)
Equipment: Grain Elevator, Fans, Filter House, Bag House
Company: MGI Grain Processing LLC
Previous Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: $100,000 – $200,000
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
The company does not appear to have its own website. According to Manta, MGI Grain Processing LLC is a privately held, single-location business in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. The business was first established in 2009, has an estimated annual revenue of $1.7 million and employs 11 members of staff.
Manta categorizes MGI Grain Processing LLC under Milling. According to IndustryNet the business produces pet food ingredients as well as carrying out grain processing to produce flour and other grain mill products.
Description of Grain Elevator Explosion and Fire
In early January 2018, Powder & Bulk Solids and Feed & Grain reported that an explosion and fire had occurred at a grain processing plant in East Grand Forks, Minnesota on January 4.
Emergency crews were alerted at around 6:50 pm after two workers reported hearing a “boom” in the plant’s elevator tower. 29 fire personnel attended the incident, along with police and ambulance teams.
Page 1 Publications posted a video of the incident in which a member of the fire crew could be heard to say, “upon arrival, there was heavy fire at the very top of the elevator, in the filter area of the elevator where they have a bunch of filters and the exhaust system.” He said that the fire was knocked down within about 45 minutes, and added that there was “probably total loss” in the filter house and the baghouse.
The East Grand Forks Fire Department later said the explosion was caused by an equipment malfunction. The local fire chief suggested that a clog in a machine was the most likely cause. He went on to say that sparks and dust were probably blown by fans into the tubing, and the dust then ignited.
Damages are estimated to range from $100,000 to $200,000. There were no injuries.
Sources:
Powder & Bulk Solids
Feed & Grain
Page 1 Publications
Manta
IndustryNet
