(Lake Park)– Things are getting back to normal in Lake Park this (Thursday) morning after a small fire in a grain silo at the Farmer’s Exchange Elevator resulted in homes and businesses in a two-block radius around the elevator being evacuated Wednesday.
Lake Park Fire Chief Brandon Ehret tells KUOO news crews were finally able to stabilize the situation late in the day Wednesday by injecting some carbon dioxide into the bin where the fire was located, snuffing it out and eliminating any immediate danger of an explosion. Residents were allowed to return to their homes and businesses around 8:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Ehret says the evacuation was ordered as a precaution due to the volatility of gain dust and the potential for an explosion.
Ehret describes things this (Thursday) morning as stable. He says elevator personnel will continue to closely monitor the bin.
Ehret adds damage to the elevator itself was very minimal as the fire was very small and was contained to a small part of a silo.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters were called to the scene shortly before noon Wednesday and remained there well into the evening.
