Date: August 1, 2018
Location: Hazleton, Pennsylvania (USA)
Address: 1111 N. Park Drive, 18202
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Grain Dust
Industry: Animal Feed (Food Processing)
Equipment: Grinder
Company: Vita-Line Products
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company profile on Hoovers, Vita-Line Products is a pet food producer located in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. It was established in 2003, currently employs 130 employees at its location in Humboldt Industrial Park, and is a subsidiary of American Nutrition, Inc. Their primary output is food for livestock including beef and dairy cattle, poultry and hogs.
Description of Grain Dust Fire:
On August 2, 2018, local news agency the Standard Speaker reported a fire at a pet food processing plant in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. According to fire officials, the fire began in a grinder that ductwork carries to the silos. Firefighters opened the grinder and doused the flames with water before inspecting a bag house and climbing on a roof to check a dust collector.
While firefighters battled the blaze, some employees waited outside the plant while others stayed within a section of the factory protected by a firewall from the grinder. After fire crews left at around 1:35 p.m., employees began cleaning up the plant.
There were no injuries reported and the value of any property damage is unknown.
Previous Incidents:
Other incidents have been reported at Vita-Line Products. On March 5, 2013, the Republican-Herald reported that fire destroyed a truck and a train bay at the facility sustained some smoke, fire, water and heat damage.
Over two years later, on April 3, 2015, Hughes Environmental reported that employees discovered a fire in a pet food material grinder. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread to the air duct system. Several additional fires broke out, one within a silo that was storing 90 tons of powdered dog food. The smouldering dust inside created enough of a cloud to combust, creating an explosion that blew the roof off the silo.
Firefighters and workers were forced to slowly empty the burning material out of the bottom of the silo into carts, which were then taken to an empty area behind the building and sprayed with water before being thrown into dumpsters. Finally, after fire crews had been at the scene for 25 hours, the fire was completely contained.
OSHA Inspections:
A search for Vita-Line Products revealed one OSHA inspection but it was not flagged under the combustible dust national emphasis program.
Sources:
Standard Speaker
Republican-Herald
Hughes Environmental
