OSAGE — Dust explosions sent fire racing through the Osage Co-Op Elevator facility Saturday, October 17, forcing a shutdown of grain receiving and bringing firefighters from five Northern Iowa communities to the scene. No injuries were reported, and neighboring agricultural businesses offered help to keep fall fertilizer operations going.
The Osage Fire Department was dispatched at 7:36 a.m. following a reported sulfur explosion. Crews arrived six minutes later and found fire inside the structure.
As firefighters prepared to attack the flames, a series of smaller dust explosions rapidly spread the fire throughout the remainder of the facility, according to the department. Incident command immediately requested mutual aid.
Osage Co-Op fire draws five fire departments
Firefighters from St. Ansgar, Floyd, Charles City and Colwell joined Osage crews in battling the blaze. Photos shared by the co-op showed flames across part of the facility and a towering cloud of smoke above the buildings.
During the emergency, the Osage Fire Department urged people to stay away. The co-op advised that it could not accept grain because electricity had been shut off.
Crews brought the fire under control and remained on scene until approximately 5:15 p.m., nearly 10 hours after the initial dispatch.
Osage police and the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office handled traffic control and monitored the direction of the smoke to protect public safety. Mitchell County EMS, Mitchell County Emergency Management, Osage Municipal Utilities, the City of Osage, Mayers Digging and the co-op also assisted.
The response follows other major fire calls across Northern Iowa, including a Clear Lake garage fire that caused an estimated $200,000 in damage earlier this month.
Neighboring businesses offer fertilizer help
The co-op later confirmed that no one had been injured and thanked firefighters for their work.
“What a rough way to start our Saturday morning, but we are incredibly grateful to report that no one was injured during the fire,” the business wrote.
In a separate update, the co-op described the fire as a “devastating event” and announced that neighboring businesses had offered to blend fertilizer this fall so operations could continue.
The businesses recognized were Nexus Cooperative, North Iowa Cooperative, Five Star Cooperative, NEW Cooperative, Farmers New Ag LLC and Farmers Feed & Grain of Riceville.
“We are truly grateful for their partnership,” the co-op said.
Fire cause remains under investigation
Although the initial call followed a reported sulfur explosion, the Osage Fire Department said the cause of the fire remains under active investigation.
The statements provided did not include a damage estimate or a timetable for grain receiving to resume.
(PHOTO of incident via Osage Fire Department.)