Date: March 14, 2021
Location: Athens, Maine (USA)
Address: 164 Harmony Road, 04912
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Wood Dust
Industry: Wood Pellets (Wood and Wood Products)
Equipment: Wood Dryer
Company: Maine Woods Pellet Company
Database Incidents: This facility was referenced in a dust fire incident in August 2018.
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, Maine Woods Pellet Company was established in 2006 in Athens, Maine. It produces up to 100,000 tons of wood pellets per year for both the bulk and bagged fuel markets at its production facility, which is located on a 55-acre site. All raw materials come from woodlands owned and managed by partners in addition to sawdust and wood chips from a trusted network of sawmills.
Incident Description:
On March 15, 2021, Central Maine reported a fire at a wood pellet processor in Athens. Maine.
Fourteen fire departments and more than 50 firefighters responded to the fire, which started in a wood pellet dryer and extended into the building, damaging the walls, roof and many wire trays.
Firefighters later commented that there was zero visibility inside the building, which is about 200-by-600 feet in size and is 2 1/2 to 3 stories high. The fire was deep inside the walls and roof, so a lot of digging was necessary.
The local school district sent two school buses for firefighters to get warm while they worked into the night. They finally left the scene at 4:00 a.m.
No injuries were reported.
Previous Incidents
This facility experienced a dust fire on August 31, 2018, covered in No Injuries Reported in Dust Collector Fire at Maine Wood Pellet Plant.
Sources:
Central Maine
