Fire breaks out in 600 ton sawdust silo at Appalachian hardwoods supplier Muth Lumber in Ironton, Ohio; fire official suspects cause was spontaneous combustion

Wendy Lisney

LOS ANGELES , June 22, 2012 (Industry Intelligence) – Fire broke out in sawdust silo at Appalachian hardwoods supplier Muth Lumber in Ironton, Ohio, on Thursday, according to a report by the Ironton Tribune.

On Friday morning, Ironton Fire Capt. Craig Thomas said the fire in a silo containing 600 tons of sawdust was almost out. The cause of the blaze, which ignited at around 2.30 p.m. on Thursday, has not yet been determined although Thomas suggested spontaneous combustion.

Firefighters tackled the blaze by removing sawdust in buckets, dropping off the sawdust to the side and keeping it doused with water. By 10 p.m., the crew thought the fire was out and left the scene, said Thomas, but it flared up again. Firefighters returned and were still at the site on Friday morning.

Muth lumber, which has kilning and container loading facilities, ships Appalachian hardwoods to North America and export markets including Asia and Europe, according to the company's Website.

The primary source of this article is the Ironton Tribune, Ironton, Ohio, on June 22, 2012.

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