Blast rocks co-op

Staff report

Jefferson Police Chief Mark Clouse called the damage “catastrophic.”

But it could have been so much worse.

When news broke Friday morning of a dust explosion at the Landus grain elevator in Jefferson, memories of August 1974 immediately came to mind — when a similar explosion claimed the lives of three employees.

This time, there were no injuries, reported Kerrey​ Kerr‑Enskat, vice president of communications and marketing for Ames-based Landus Cooperative.

The site was rocked about 8 a.m. Friday by a dust explosion that tore a huge vertical gash in one of the concrete grain silos.

In footage captured on nearby security cameras, a massive fireball can be seen erupting from the site.

Employees at nearby B&D Mfg. said their building shook, then saw flames coming from one of the concrete grain silos at Landus.

Within an hour, Landus announced that all employees were accounted for, and that the situation was under control.

Kerr‑Enskat later said an initial investigation identified smoldering grain in a self-contained bin located next to the elevator. 

A salvage company specializing in extinguishing grain was expected onsite that same day to remove the grain from the bin. Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams, who is also Jefferson fire chief, said Wednesday that grain was still smoldering.

While grain dust is highly combustible, Clouse said no other hazardous material was released or involved in the blast.

The facility experienced a secondary explosion about 6:45 p.m. Saturday, the result of a fire in the head house — a normal occurrence following a dust explosion, Landus reported.

Firefighters were already on the scene Saturday evening and had requested that police close down nearby roads. Roads remained closed overnight. Landus said the location is secure and not a threat to public safety.

The first explosion triggered an all-out response from area first responders, as Jefferson Fire, Grand Junction Fire, Scranton Fire, Carroll Fire, Greene County Ambulance, the Iowa State Patrol, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the state fire marshal’s office descended on North Mulberry Street in Jefferson.

According to Purdue University, which tracks grain dust explosions annually across the country, there have been 29 grain dust explosions since 2018, resulting in two fatalities. Last year saw eight grain dust explosions in eight states but no deaths.

On Monday, Landus released a statement that the elevator is expected to resume grain receiving and corn drying operations in time for this year’s harvest.

“We’re so thankful to the local fire and rescue teams who responded to last Friday’s emergency and even more thankful that no one was hurt,” CEO Matt Carstens said in a statement.

For some, the explosion reawakened 47-year-old memories.

In August of 1974, a cutter torch being used by a nearby construction crew ignited dust at what was then-Farmers Cooperative.

The blast killed three employees of Farmers Coop, and injured three construction workers.

Jefferson volunteer firefighter Louis Martin was tasked with being lowered by rope 80 feet inside the silo to recover two of the bodies.

One of the largest elevators in the state — with a capacity for 5½ million bushels — the explosion in ’74 was said to have been heard more than a mile away.