Persistant Silo Fire Extinquished

Persistant Silo Fire Extinquished CROP STORAGE Silos (50) 23-3-5 That "unextinguishable" silo fire we told you about in the last issue has finally been snuffed out. "After your story, we received 200 to 300 calls from FARM SHOW readers all over North America suggesting various ways to put it out. I'm sure many of the ideas would have worked and we'd like to thank your readers for their concern," says Sharon Pumper. She and her husband, George, struggled for 2 1/2 months with a spontaneous silo fire that started in their concrete stave silo on New Year's Eve with a series of explosions. Area firefighters finally got the fire out on March 15th by shoveling out the smoldering silage. The Pumpers plan to rebuild the top 25 ft. of the 70-ft. silo, but there's plenty of work to do first, says Sharon. "We bought a used silo unloader to unload the rest of the burned silage from it, but it's a long slow process," she says. "We can't start tearing it down until it's empty because it might damage the barn that stands next to it." The Pumpers are also squabbling with their insurance company over a settlement. "They're willing to pay us off, but we're not signing off on the settlement until the silo's down," she says. "It's still a hazard in the condition it's in. If we'd get a strong wind it could come down pretty easily."

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