About 600 bushels of corn were lost when a grain bin drier caught fire this (Tuesday) morning, in Jacksonville. Kimballton Fire Chief Bill Allen told KJAN News crews responded to the Peterson Bros. Elevator in Jacksonville at around 5-a.m. Allen said when they arrived on the scene, they determined the grain drier had caught fire sometime during the night, but the flames were contained to the drier itself. 

The situation was precarious, as there were flames shooting from the drier, and several fully loaded grain bins nearby. Allen says it took fire fighters about 30-minutes to knock down the blaze, but being full of corn, it continued to smolder. Crews were able to access a crane to separate the drier from the rest of the machine, cut it open and get to the source of the smoke and flames. They remained on the scene until 11-a.m. Allen says the fire apparently started within the drier itself.

He says there was an apparent mechanical failure that caused the corn to heat up and ignite. The Chief says efforts by firefighters from Kimballton, Elk Horn and Harlan to control the flames enabled the elevator to remain open for business.

There were no injuries reported and none of the actual grain bins were compromised.