Date: March 21, 2023
Location: St. John’s, Newfoundland (CA)
Address: 1273 Topsail Road, A1N 5G3
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Poultry Farming (Agriculture)
Equipment: Grain Silo
Company: Country Ribbon Inc.
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to its website, Country Ribbon Inc. is a poultry farming and processing company based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. It was founded in 1978 and produces a variety of chicken products, including fresh and frozen chicken, chicken parts, and chicken burgers and nuggets. The company also produces turkey, duck, and geese products, and operates a feed mill and hatchery.
Incident Description:
On March 22, 2023, VOCM reported a silo fire at a poultry farming and processing company in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The St. John’s Regional Fire Department received a call about the fire shortly after 9:00 p.m. The call came from a worker who noticed the smell of burnt popcorn in the air and detected heat on the exterior of a silo. The employee immediately called 911, prompting the arrival of 20 firefighters from several stations shortly.
When the firefighters opened an access hatch at the side of the silo, they found a significant amount of fire inside. They began pouring water inside the silo to extinguish the flames. Due to the large amount of burning material and the limited access to the fire, the firefighters decided to use an aerial ladder to spray water through a vent at the top of the silo to try and extinguish the fire from above.
Fortunately, the fire was limited to only one silo; however, the corn stored inside had melted and fused with the structure. The fire also caused the police to close a section of Topsail Road, as the firefighters needed a fire hydrant on the other side of the street.
The firefighters were on the scene until 7:00 a.m. the following morning but were unable to completely extinguish the smoldering material due to the limited access points and the volume of material involved.
The extent of the damage is currently being evaluated. The fire is thought to have been caused by an overheated feed auger.
No injuries were reported.
