Crews Battle Silo Fire at Riceland Foods Storage Facility

Firefighters were called to the Riceland Foods storage facility in Stuttgart, AR on Sunday evening after a blaze ignited at the site, several local news organizations reported.

The blaze ignited around 6:30 p.m., coverage by television news station KARK said. A Riceland spokesperson told the broadcaster that the incident occurred in a facility that was used to store soybeans.

Riceland said personnel were engaged in cleaning the bins when the fire started, according to a Little Rock, AR-based Fox News affiliate. During the response, crews were forced to cut into the silos to douse the fire.

The company also operates a soybean processing plant and a complex to support its Rice Division in Stuttgart. Powder & Bulk Solids reported in October 2020 that a combustible dust explosion occurred at the facility, minorly injuring three employees.