Date: December 17, 2018
Location: Superior, Wisconsin (USA)
Address: 2 Banks Avenue, 54880
Type: Potential Dust Fire
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Grain Processing (Agriculture)
Equipment: Grain Elevator
Company: The grain elevator is the former property of Globe Elevators
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: $10,000,000
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
The Globe Elevators were built in 1887. At the time it was one of the largest elevators in the world and featured the first integrated elevator system to convey grain between structures. Now out of service, much of its wood was removed by Wisconsin Woodchuck LLC: their work was documented on the History Channel’s “Ax Men” series.
Incident Description:
On December 17, 2018, MPR News reported a fire at a defunct grain elevator in Superior, Wisconsin.
The smoke and flames were visible from places throughout the Twin Ports. The mayor of Superior said that the grain elevator was made of wood, so it was expected to burn for a while.
The Superior Fire Department reported that by the time they arrived, the flames were so high they could not start fighting it immediately. By the time they got a hose to the base, the wind created a chimney effect, so they had to take a defensive approach.
Firefighters created a 225-foot collapse zone around the burning 150-foot-tall structure. They used water from the harbour to fight the flames. The fire was believed to be located in the “head house” portion of the site.
The Battalion Chief of the Superior Fire Department said that three workers and the owner of the structure were working there at the time the fire broke out but quickly made it to safety and called 911. The owner told ABC Eyewitness News that it only took five minutes for an “inferno” to erupt.
There was $10 million of wood reclamation equipment on site, as the elevator was in the process of being dismantled. Only a Bobcat was salvaged. The property owner said the fire caused an estimated $2.5 million in damage. $450,000 of that damage was in wood that was already sold.
The mayor confirmed that there were no injuries. On December 18, the Battalion Chief told WKOW27 that the fire started when machine crews cutting away wood hit a nail or a screw, creating a spark.
