Firefighters Work for 10 Hours, Unable to Save Grain Bin

The fire broke out Friday morning at a farmstead on Millhousen Road.

Photo by Napoleon Volunteer Fire Department. 

(Napoleon, Ind.) - Napoleon firefighters were dispatched to a possible grain bin fire last Friday morning. 

The incident was reported at a farmstead on Millhousen Road, just west of Napoleon. 

Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy smoke emitting from the structure. Firefighters used thermal imaging to see the fire was burning corn just above the ventilation floor inside the bin. 

An attempt was made to empty the nearly full bin using the installed unloading equipment, but the fire had been burning long enough that the equipment would no longer move any grain. 

A standard approach of making "V-cuts" in the side of the bin was used to begin a controlled emptying of salvageable grain, while loader equipment moved the material away from the bin.

Attempts at using grain vacuum equipment proved unsuccessful for moving the burning corn from the interior of the bin. Eventually the fire department along with the property owner determined that the bin was heavily damaged enough and structurally compromised to the point that the safest and most effective approach was to bring the bin down, in order to access the mass of corn burning inside the bin at the floor level.

Firefighters were on scene for approximately 10 hours, and while some grain was salvaged, the bin was considered a total loss. 

One firefighter was treated for exhaustion and dehydration. 

The Osgood Volunteer Fire Department provided additional equipment and manpower.