Fire Guts Grain Elevator in Kansas

A fire on Sept. 8 destroyed the Nicholson & Edwards Grain Co. grain elevator in Primghar, IA, causing an estimated $1 million in damages, several local news organizations reported.

Fire crews responded to reports of a fire at the site at about 8 p.m., finding the head drives of a vertical conveyor system and the grain elevator’s head houses consumed by fire. Nine fire departments from the area battled the blaze until 4:30 a.m. the next day, the Storm Lake Pilot-Tribune reported.

During the incident, the grain elevator at the site collapsed, damaging a grain bin used for corn storage behind it, the Sioux City Journal’s coverage said. The elevator contained 25,000 bushels of soybeans when the blaze started. A business office was also destroyed.

No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze is undetermined. Primgar Volunteer Fire & Rescue Chief Gary Lansink told the Journal that any investigation into the cause of the fire is hindered by the fact that firefighters had to dismantle the remains of the elevator as they fought the fire, obliterating any evidence that might have been present.

Chief Lansink speculated in the Pilot-Tribune’s report that the fire may have been caused by overheated grain handling machinery.

New flames and flare ups continued to appear through Tuesday, the Journal said.

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