Dust Explosion and Fire Reported at Pennsylvania Plant

Fire crews responded to the Vixen Hall production facility in Elverson, PA on Wednesday after sawdust exploded and a fire ignited in the facility’s baghouse, local news reports said.

The blast occurred inside the facility, which produces gazebos, decks, and shutters, at about 1:30 p.m. Several area news organizations said vibrations from the explosion were felt several blocks away from the location. 

“I was inside and heard a loud boom as the dust explosion went throughout the building,” the plant’s owner, Chris Peeples, told the Berksmont News. “Saw dust inside the bag house ignited. Dust from sanding is drawn into there, [it’s] like a big shop vac.”

While more than 12 workers were working at the plant when the explosion happened, no injuries were reported during the incident, according to coverage by WFMZ. Officials told the television news station that nearly two thirds of the building sustained damages.

“The fire was located in the dust collector,” Twin Valley Fire Company Jason Brooks said in an interview with the News. “We also had fire from the top of the tower.”  

An investigation into the cause of the explosion and fire has been opened.

For more news headlines, articles, and equipment reviews, visit our Equipment Zones