Maricopa, Az Monday December 29- At approximately 9:15 this morning Maricopa Fire Department crews responded to a report of an explosion at Arizona Grain Company located at 38501 W Cowtown Rd. in Maricopa. Numerous other agencies responded as well for automatic aid to the units already on scene. Three workers were treated by Maricopa paramedics on scene and then flown to Maricopa County Medical center with first and second degree burns to their face and hands as a result of the powerful dust explosion.
Fire investigators have determined the origin of the initial explosion was in one of the four vertical grain elevator legs with a secondary explosion reportedly caused by the first and subsequent fireball to the subterranean grain elevator network.
The explosion could be felt and heard throughout the City of Maricopa. The tremendous force of the explosion was such that it sheared six 7/8-inch bolts to a truck scale lifting a semi loaded with grain weighing approximately 80,000 pounds.
According to fire officials on scene it was a miracle the three individuals did not parish in the explosion. They were somewhat shielded from the flying chucks of concrete and metal by a portion of the weigh station. Other employees on scene were obviously shaken by the event but were not injured.
Preliminary fire investigations by Maricopa Fire Investigators indicate at this time the cause to be accidental as a result of routine maintenance being conducted around the time of the explosion. Dust and grain elevator explosions are among the most powerful and dangerous type explosions known to fire service.
As of 1:30 p.m. it was reported two of the three individuals flown to the hospital were in good condition and one remained in critical condition. There were no fire fighter injuries.
