Three Injured in Dust Collector Explosion at MN Facility

Three employees of an Eden Valley, MN cabinet production facility were injured in a dust explosion Thursday, several media sources reported.

Occurring at about 2:19 PM central time at Schlangen’s Custom Cabinets, Meeker County [MN] Sherriff Brian Cruze told the St. Cloud Times that the explosion is thought to have been caused by a dust collector that caused an ember to travel into the venting system, resulting in a dust explosion.

“The fire and explosion appear to be the result of a piece of machinery causing an ember to be pulled into the venting system, which resulted in the dust explosion,” a statement from the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office stated, according to a report by the West Central Tribune.

The Litchfield Independent Review noted that police and firefighters initially responded to a report of a fire and the explosion occurred after first responders had arrived on scene.

46-year-old employee Duane Stang was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and workers James Thielen, 57, and Scott Thielen, 39, received minor injuries, the reports said.