An explosion felt and heard all over Estill Springs, Tennessee, sparked a fire and injured a truck driver at the Tyson Foods Feed Mill, according to authorities.
“The incident began when a grain truck was unloading, triggering a dust explosion beneath the truck,” Estill Springs officials said in a news release on the Saturday fire. “This explosion extended into the grain hopper, which leads into the on-site grain silo. The fire subsequently traveled up the grain elevator, igniting additional grain stored in the facility.”
A dust explosion is caused by a quick release of a large amount of energy due to the combustion of a particulate material of small size, according to sciencedirect.com.
The cause of Saturday’s blast is believed to have been a combination of collected dust and a malfunction involving some old equipment, Matt Baker, Estill Springs police chief, said in a phone interview.
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The initial blast rocked neighbors.
“It sounded like a bomb when it went off,” nearby resident Michelle Bonwell McClain said in a social media post. “So blessed that no one was killed. Prayers for the injured man.”
Firefighters from the Estill Springs Volunteer Fire Department teamed with departments from Capital Hill, Decherd, Winchester and North Franklin County to quickly quench the blaze, authorities said.
One man was injured and transported to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville for treatment of burns, Baker said. The injured man was treated and released Sunday to recover at home.
Officials with Springdale, Arkansas-based Tyson Foods told city authorities a company assessment team will visit the mill, Baker said.
“We are managing an incident at our Estill Springs, Tennessee, feed mill following a fire inside the feed mill bin on Saturday,” a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement. “Our onsite team is assessing any damage to the structure of the silo to ensure the safety of our team members and the community.”
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The feed mill in Estill Springs services the Tyson plant in nearby Shelbyville, according to the spokesperson.
“We are thankful for the quick response of emergency services,” the spokesperson said.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.