Date: January 25, 2019
Location: Wausau, Wisconsin (USA)
Address: 2965 Frontier Drive, 54401
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Grain Processing (Agriculture)
Equipment: Grain Dryer
Company: Heartland Cooperative
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Heartland Cooperative is an agricultural cooperative with locations across central Wisconsin. The Wausau location, which serves the Brokaw area, has a storage and drying capacity of 2.2 million bushels. Its grain dryer, which runs on natural gas, is equipped to handle 4,000 bushels per hour.
Incident Description:
On January 25, 2019, FOX WZAW reported a fire at a grain elevator in Wausau, Wisconsin.
According to Powder & Bulk Solids, people living near the elevator reported seeing black smoke coming from the plant. Firefighters from Wausau, Maine, Texas, and Hamburg responded to the fire, which was reported at 12:44 p.m. Their combined efforts quickly doused the flames.
Officials stated that the fire may have ignited after soybeans became clogged in a machine.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is not presently known.
OSHA Inspections:
An establishment search found one OSHA inspection for Heartland Cooperative, but it was not flagged for combustible dust.
Sources:
FOX WZAW
Powder & Bulk Solids
