USA – Two explosions damage feed mill in Iowa
A feed mill operated by Kent Nutrition Group in Sheldon, Iowa, sustained damage in two separate explosions in September and October 2026. The incidents affected a tower and a grain cooler, with no injuries reported. Investigations into the causes remain ongoing.
The first incident took place at around 05:06 on 21 September, as staff prepared a grain dryer for its daily start-up. The explosion caused damage to a tower on the northern side of the facility, prompting the shutdown of utilities serving the affected area while an assessment was carried out.
Emergency services returned to the site shortly after midnight on 1 October, following a second reported explosion at approximately 00:30. Although the initial assessment revealed no obvious structural damage or signs of fire, a closer inspection inside the building uncovered smoke and flames originating from a grain cooler.
Once the fire had been contained, personnel began emptying the lower section of the cooler to remove the remaining material. The process took around three hours, during which hot spots were identified and dealt with outside the building. The reported damage from the second incident was limited to the cooler and its contents.
The precise circumstances behind both explosions have yet to be established. No findings released to date have identified the underlying causes or confirmed whether the two incidents were related.
Photo credit: Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.