Dust Explosion, Fire Damages Particleboard Plant

A dust explosion in a wood chip silo on Sunday caused a fire that damaged several structures at the Borg Manufacturing particleboard plant in Australia, reports from several local news organizations said.

Over 30 firefighters responded to the incident at the Mount Gambier, South Australia site, issuing an order to homes surrounding the plant to keep their windows and doors shut from the smoke generated by the blaze, The Border Watch Newsgroup reported.

Images from the scene published by Border Watch showed a bent dust explosion panel on the side of a structure at the site.

The South Australian Advertiser’s coverage noted that two bag houses and an air grader at the site may have received damages in the blaze.

Crews put down the fire within a few hours, but firefighters planned to remain on scene through Monday as smoldering materials continued to burn, officials told the Advertiser.

Borg Manufacturing acquired the particleboard plant in Mount Gambier in January 2018, according to information on the company’s website.

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