Date: August 20, 2018
Location: Crystal City, Manitoba (Canada)
Address: 23 South Railway Avenue, R0K 0N0
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Grain Processing (Agriculture)
Equipment: Grain Elevator
Company: Paterson Grain
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: One person injured
Capital Cost: $2.5 million
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Paterson Grain was founded in 1908 and is a division of Paterson GlobalFoods Inc. With its headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba, it operates approximately 40 locations across Canada, including nine inland export terminals.
Paterson Grain is presently involved in seed sales, crop inputs, grain handling and exports, financial services to farmers, and through its affiliate companies, transportation, milling, and consumer food products.
Incident Description:
On August 20, 2018, CBC News reported a devastating explosion and fire at a grain elevator in Crystal City, Manitoba. An RCMP spokesman stated that someone called the detachment at around 6:00 p.m., after hearing an explosion and seeing fire coming from the top of the elevator. Other residents reported hearing sounds like thunder before the flames appeared, and one woman said that she could feel the heat of the fire on her face three blocks away.
Firefighters from surrounding communities arrived to fight the blaze. Local farmers and a Hutterite community worked together to haul water while RCMP officers helped to evacuate nearby homes and neighbours cooked food for the firefighters.
Despite their efforts, the ash blew south and spread the flames to a hardware building around two blocks away from the elevator. The Brandon Sun reported that the nearby post office and local municipal office were doused with water to prevent them from catching fire. Both the store and the elevator were completely destroyed.
One man who had been working in the grain elevator at the time the fire broke out suffered burns and had to be airlifted to a Winnipeg hospital. He was later reported to be in stable condition, with second degree burns to his hands, according to CTV News.
Manitoba Hydro said that 270 customers in the region were without power as a temporary result of the fire. It was later determined that a spark within the elevator ignited the grain dust.
Research Team Update:
On January 9, 2020, the Health Sciences Foundation Centre reported that the survivor of the explosion, 31-year-old Brodie Richardson, suffered first- and second-degree burns on his upper body, right down to his waist. After reaching the town’s hospital, it was discovered that Richardson had sustained burns to over 30% of his skin. He was quickly transported by air to Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg, where he remained hospitalized for 18 days.
Richardson was helping a farmer unload a truck when he heard the blast. He recalled, “I was just like, ‘I need to get out of here as fast as I can,’ and just ran for it. My shirt was on fire and I ripped it off as I was exiting the elevator.”
Not realizing the extent of his injury, Richardson tore off the remnants of his shirt and ran down the elevator’s access ramp. It was then that a second explosion hit. As Richardson scrambled for his truck to move it out of harm’s way, a farmer pointed out his injuries and took him to the hospital.
Sources:
CBC News (August 20, 2018)
CTV News
Brandon Sun
CBC News (September 10, 2018)
Health Sciences Foundation Centre Update
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