Sugarcreek Shavings Fire Sparked by Dust-Collection System, No Injuries Reported

A spark from operating equipment triggered an explosion in a dust-collection system atop a silo at Sugarcreek Shavings on Hilltop Drive Northwest on Monday afternoon, sending flames through the attic area and along the building's back wall before firefighters from several departments brought the fire under control after roughly four hours on scene.

Crews were dispatched just before 4 p.m. on March 9 to the facility, which manufactures and bags wood-fuel pellets and livestock bedding. Strasburg firefighters confirmed no one was hurt.

Fire Chief Jason Ely said "the fire appears to have started when a spark from operating equipment triggered an explosion in a dust-collection system at the top of a silo." Once the blaze took hold, it worked its way through the attic space and spread along the rear wall of the building before crews were able to contain it.

Ely described the damage as "a fair amount" but said there is no estimate yet and that it remains unclear how long operations at the facility will be affected. He added that he was not expecting any rekindles once crews cleared the site.

The incident marks the second fire at Sugarcreek Shavings in approximately three years, though no details from the earlier blaze were immediately available.