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Explosion damages Kent Nutrition feed mill in Sheldon, Iowa
Firefighters shut down utilities to the affected portion of the plant after the blast on Sept. 21, and the incident was described as likely accidental.
An explosion at a Kent Nutrition Group complex in northwest Iowa damaged one of the company’s feed mills on Sept. 21, according to the Sheldon Fire Department as covered by World Grain.
Firefighters responded to a call at 5:06 a.m. reporting the explosion, and upon arrival they observed a large hole on the east side of a feed mill tower. The department said firefighters shut down utilities in that part of the plant as part of the response, and no injuries were reported.
O’Brien County Emergency Management Agency personnel also attended the scene and used a drone to check for hot spots, finding none. Sheldon Fire Chief Brad Hindt said the cause appears to be accidental, citing employee accounts that they were in the process of starting up a grain dryer for daily operations when the explosion occurred.
World Grain noted that a couple of similar incidents have occurred at the Sheldon complex in recent years, including an explosion in July 2019 that also reported no injuries. Kent Nutrition Group, based in Muscatine, Iowa, is described as one of the largest feed manufacturers in the United States.