VIDEO/PHOTOS: Firefighters from a total of seven Coles and Moultrie County fire departments responded to a grain elevator fire on Sunday. The fire happened at the Coles Station facility of Primient Grain, located on the boundary of Coles and Moultrie Counties. Wabash Fire spokesman Gary Kepley told WCIA that a passerby reported smoke around 2:56 p.m.
When firefighters arrived, Kepley said they found heavy smoke coming from a dryer and the tubes for that dryer. It was determined that the fire started in an upright leg of the elevator and a conveyor belt in particular was blamed for starting the fire.
Because the fire was happening in a confined space, Kepley said his department asked for help from other local agencies. The Lincoln, Crooks Mills, Windsor, Findlay and Humboldt Fire Protection Districts responded, along with the Charleston Fire Department.
Kepley said it took about 150,000 to 200,000 gallons of water over the course of three hours for firefighters to get the fire to a point where “they knew they had it.” Crews stayed on the scene for another hour before leaving. No injuries were reported.
