A report of smoke in the basement at Milbank Mills summoned Chillicothe Fire Department. The call came in at 5:00 am Monday and the fire department arrived in two minutes. A “hot spot” was reported in one of the bins. Firefighters pulled water lines to the top of the stairs, but were asked to not use them until necessary.
Using air-packs, a thermal camera, and shovels, two firefighters located a large pile of mashed grain underneath the hopper that was extremely hot and smoldering.
The burnt area and smoldering grain was removed using shovels and a wheelbarrow, and fans helped to cool the area.
No water was used on the call. The fire department was on the scene for an hour and 20 minutes
The cause of the fire was not listed, although employees stated they had made weld repairs on the equipment over the weekend, but monitored the area of the work for several hours and saw no issues.
