Rice dryer fire under investigation
Published 6:00 pm Friday, September 27, 2019
THORNWELL — A rice dryer at the Thornwell Warehouse caught fire early Thursday morning, sending smoke and ashes into the air.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. There were no reports of injury.
April O’Quinn, who lives across the street from the rice dryers, said she was getting ready for work when the lights flickered and she heard a popping sound.
“I came out to look and saw the smoke, and I could see the flames glowing on the inside and the ashes were flying,” she said. “My neighbor was already calling 911.”
O’Quinn has lived across the street from the rice dryers for two years and said this is the first time anything like this has happened. O’Quinn stayed home from work with her aunt in case they had to evacuate.
Jeff Davis Parish District 4 Fire Chief Jared Manuel said authorities had alerted neighbors and blocked off streets, but no one was evacuated.
Manuel said a person passing the dryers noticed smoke and flames coming from the metal structure around 5:30 a.m. and called the fire department.
“When I got here, there was a lot of heavy smoke and flames coming from inside,” Manuel said.
Neighbors reported hearing at least two explosions.
Fire District 4 received mutual aid from Lake Arthur, Jennings, Welsh, Evangeline and Fire District 2. Acadian Ambulance and the Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office were also on scene.
“I’d like to thank all the local fire chiefs who sent us help,” Manuel said. “We are a volunteer fire department, and their help means a lot to me.”
Neighbors reported hearing at least two explosions coming from the warehouse.
More than 30 firefighters remained on scene throughout most of the day to keep the smoldering rice and dryers cooled down to keep the fire from spreading to nearby rice dryers.
Thornwell Warehouse Association President Shane Daboval said the fire is believed to have started in one of the drying units and may have spread to at least two other nearby dryers.
The dryers contain about 130,000 barrels of rice. How much rice was damaged is unknown.
Warehouse bookkeeper Tonya Cirrito described the fire as a “nightmare.” She arrived on the scene shortly after Daboval and could see the dryers glowing from the inside. She was thankful workers had not arrived to start their day yet.
She said the dryers were rebuilt after a fire in 1963 or 1964 had burned the original dryers.
A fire in 1997 destroyed an old rice dryer at the Thornwell Warehouse in Welsh.
Multiple agencies from Jeff Davis Parish are on the scene of a rice dryer fire at the Thornwell Warehouse. No injuries have been reported. Look for updates in tomorrow’s paper.
