UPDATE: Sheldon, Iowa — A discovery at a Sheldon feed mill on Wednesday morning caused some very tense moments and the evacuation of the facility.
According to Sheldon Assistant Fire Chief Randy Harms, the Sheldon Fire Company was called out about 9:50 a.m., when one of the workers at the Land O’Lakes Purina Feed Division feed mill at 105 West Eighth Street discovered a pile of embers at the base of the air pickup tube for their air filtration system. He says they checked the door and that had smoke coming out of it. Harms says these are especially dangerous circumstances in a grain or feed facility, due to the risk of explosion.
Harms reports the plant was shut down and evacuated at that time, and they called 911. When firefighters arrived, he says they set up their ladder truck so they could get to the top of the building. He says the filtration system uses approximately 50 special bags to collect dust. He says firefighters took all the bags out and checked them, but no bags had any embers or any sign of fire. The cause of the smoke and embers is still unknown, according to Harms, but Land O’Lakes personnel are investigating, trying to pin down what happened.
Assistant Chief Harms said they did call for the Sanborn Fire Department to come as well for extra manpower, in case something big did happen. He says he was told that the plant is up and running again, as of Wednesday afternoon, while the investigation continues.
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Original story posted 10:28 a.m.:
Sheldon, Iowa — The Sheldon Fire Company was called to a feed mill in Sheldon on Wednesday morning.
The call was to 105 West Eighth Street, Land O’Lakes Purina Feed Division. Details are unknown at this time, but the Sheldon Fire Company’s ladder truck was deployed to the top of one of the buildings. The Sanborn Fire Department was also called to provide manpower.
We talked to Sheldon Police Chief Lyle Bolkema, who said it was not a drill, but other than that, he didn’t have any further information at the time.
(Bottom picture is the reverse angle.)
