Updated August 1, 2024
Date Of Incident: September 11, 2018
Location: Spearfish, South Dakota (USA)
Address: 1925 McGuigan Road, 57783
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Sawdust
Industry: Wood Pellet Production (Wood and Wood Products)
Equipment: No Details
Company: Spearfish Pellet Company
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: None Recorded
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Spearfish Pellet Company in Spearfish, SD, is a subsidiary of Neiman Enterprises, Inc. which purchased the company from Pope and Talbot, Inc. in 2008. Formerly known as Heartland Pellets, Spearfish Pellet Company produces, markets, stores, and sells two kinds of products, the Heartland brand of heating pellets as well as Stall Pro Pellets for animal bedding. Spearfish Forest Products turns trees into lumber nearly 100% of the tree is used. The bark is used to fire the boiler, the wood chips are used to create chip board, and pellets to burn in heating stoves. Spearfish Forest Products and Pellet company creates wood pellets and provides people the proper way to place and store the pellets over time, in order to reduce waste due to pellet break down, over the year.
Incident Description:
On September 13, 2018, the news agency KSFY reported a fire at a wood pellet factory in Spearfish, South Dakota. The fire broke out in the sawdust-processing area of the mill system and then spread into a smokestack. The Black Hills Pioneer reported that the smokestack then spewed out some kind of hot chunks of burnt carbon material, some up to five inches in size, then in turn, started other fires, when left on the building, including on the roof of the Spearfish Pellet Heartland Wood Fuel Pellets building, in Spearfish SD.
The Spearfish, ND fire chief said that the building’s sprinkler system was in good working order but since the fire was up on the roof, it was challenging to find and get to. Spearfish Plant employees used their in-house fire truck to start fighting the flames before Spearfish SD firefighters arrived.
No injuries were reported and fire and the Spearfish SD company officials said that the damage did not appear to be major. The exact cause of the fire at the Spearfish SD pellet company wasn’t immediately determined, and might be provided in the future.
Sources:
KSFY
Black Hills Pioneer
