A sulfur explosion at the Osage Co-op in Osage, Iowa, triggered a fire Saturday morning that required mutual aid from several area fire departments to bring under control.
The Osage Fire Department responded to the facility around mid-morning on Oct. 17 after reports of an explosion. When crews arrived, they found fire burning inside the structure.
As firefighters prepared to attack the flames, a series of smaller dust explosions caused the fire to spread rapidly throughout the rest of the building. Incident Command called for backup from surrounding departments.
Crews from surrounding fire departments joined the effort. Firefighters brought the blaze under control and remained on scene until about 5:15 p.m.
No injuries were reported.
The Osage Police Department and Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office helped with traffic control and monitored smoke movement to protect public safety.
Fire officials warned the structure could continue to smolder or burn for several days. Residents experiencing smoke irritation were advised to keep windows closed.
The cause remains under investigation.
In a statement, Osage Co-op expressed gratitude for the emergency response and announced that seven neighboring cooperatives — including Nexus Cooperative, North Iowa Cooperative, Five Start Cooperative, New Cooperative Inc., Farmers New AG, LLC, Farmers Feed & Grain co. Inc. — offered to blend fertilizer so the co-op can continue fall operations.
“We are truly grateful for their partnership,” the co-op said.
