By FOX 12 Staff
Published: Aug. 10, 2022 at 9:10 AM PDT|Updated: 6 hours ago
PENDLETON, Ore. (KPTV) – A fire destroyed a building at the flour mill in Pendleton overnight.
On Tuesday, just before 3 p.m., crews responded to the report of black smoke coming from the Pendleton Flour Mills with no visible flames. Crews responded and extinguished a small fire, but remained on scene to watch for hot spots.
Police said the fire reignited at about 4 a.m. on Wednesday. The building was fully engulfed due to dry grain, as well as the wood structure.
The building where the fire was located is considered a total loss. Police said there were no other structures involved.
According to police, the fire is burning slow due to the amount of grain in the building. People are being asked to avoid the area while crews remain on scene.
Southeast Emigrant Avenue and Southeast Dorion Avenue are closed near the area of the fire. People are being asked to use Southeast Court Avenue and Southeast Frazier Avenue for east-west traffic.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Copyright 2022 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.
This time a flour mill.
Right off the top of my head I’m thinking there probably aren’t a whole lot of those around here anymore.
Now there is one less.
Wheat flour is a staple food item.
This is going to have some serious long term repercussions.
So they’ll truck the grain to a different flour mill….
A fire? At a Flour mill? Unheard of.
Seriously. Not a new thing, not an aberration, not a surprise. And old mill, likely poorly maintained,,,(generally these fires are caused by a bad bearing, and are NOT uncommon)
True but the loss of production capability is still newsworthy.
Friend of mine used to work at a large flour mill. He said that he had put out several small fires over the many years he worked there. He also said that if you didn’t stop it while it was real small, it could get uncontrollable pretty quickly. Grain dust, including flour, is highly explosive.
Could have just been an accident, or maybe not. The fact it apparently reignited is a bit suspicious.
Not really. Happens more times than you think.
Enemy action, Phil? I’m nearly blind, but I can see what the fifth columnists are doing to your country’s food production capabilities.
It’s been hot and dry over here, and had a good thunder shower last night. It’s amazing how easily fire starts when it has been 100 plus and dry. Static electricity could have started it in grain dust
I remember seeing an ad for a pedal powered grain mill. Wonder if people should start getting things like that, so they can grind their own.
YES!
I have gallons and gallons of red durham, soft white, and other grains that need a gristmill. Hand cranked if necessary.
They are actually easy to build!
VKP1024 Deluxe Grain Mill, small, Silver ~$75- deep discount
https://cookist.shop/product/vkp1024-deluxe-grain-mill-small-silver_10658.html
Bought mine from Amazon, who no longer carries it – stainless steel teeth – a lot of cranking, but works well – adjustable output – fine to coarse. Very satisfied with mine
food has been the weapon of choice for tyrants for hundreds of years.
it is one you can not hide from. it does strike everyone at the same time.
but that said, flour mills are really easy targets to blow up or burn up as flour
will explode rather easy given the right conditions .
anyone who is not trying to stock pile as much food as they can right now is a fool.
gold and silver are great to own, but you can’t eat them.
back during WW2 the brits started up what was called the land army. farmers growing food to feed the nation. by 1942-3 they where growing close to 90% of the food needed for the locals to eat. G.I, didn’t count as we where shipping TONS of food over there back then.
one thing I have seen as a local shortage is crackers, they just not there ?
I have a few boxes on the shelf, but they just not there anymore or at least the last 2-3 months or so,,
I figured by winter, things will really get tight here as the shortages add up.
diesel is still over 5.30 a gallon, not sure if heating oil has come down yet to match. still, most people around here fill up in summer and then get one or two
refills. and there are a lot of people on a fixed income as well.
doesn’t look good for a lot of them. either have food to eat or freeze this winter ?