McCoy Grain Terminal running after fire
Temporary shutdown had ‘minimal impact’ on farmers
The McCoy Grain Terminal near Rosalia is operational again after a fire shut down the facility Aug. 29.
While the closure did cause some complications for local farmers, overall it had “minimal impact” on harvests, said Keith Becker, operations manager at Pacific Northwest Farmers Cooperative.
The fire, which Becker said was caused by sparks from a conveyor belt roller, damaged multiple locations of the facility.
The facility was closed for several days and caused some disruption for growers, who had to find other facilities in the outlying areas to move their grain.
“There wasn’t anybody that couldn’t continue harvesting,” Becker said.
The terminal opened again Thursday.
The PNW Co-op operates the terminal and on Aug. 29 their employees helped firefighters access multiple areas of the site to extinguish the burning dust, grain and other materials, according to the Rosalia Fire Department.
Personnel and equipment from the Colfax Fire Department and Whitman County Fire Districts 2, 10 and 11 assisted in fighting the flames.
In nine hours, the fires were under control. PNW Co-op employees were on fire watch all through the night.
The grain stored at the terminal is shipped on a train to export terminals in the Longview, Wash., area, Becker said.
All farmers who are members of the PNW Co-op can store grain at the terminal.
It was constructed in 2013. The $18 million project included the construction of three massive storage silos, a new office and about 7,000 feet of new track.
Becker said Thursday everything at the terminal is functioning, but it will have to be closed in the middle of the fall season for scheduled repairs.
Anthony Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
