At 4:34 pm on March 28, the Dwight Fire Protection District responded to a reported fire in a grain dryer unit located at the Consolidated Grain and Barge facility on Route 17, 3 miles east of Dwight. On arrival, crews found a 120-foot tall grain dryer with heavy smoke coming from the top and sides of the unit. Crews utilized two aerial tower ladders and several engine companies to extinguish the fire which was located 110 feet in the air near the top of the dryer. Crews also encountered another fire approximately 40 feet up inside of the dryer. The fire was declared under control at 5:30 pm. No fire personnel and no facility workers were injured during the incident. The fire was contained to the structure of origin. The loss of the grain in the dryer plus physical damage to the structure are estimated to be approximately $25,000. Due to the nature of the call and the lack of fire hydrants, the alarm went to a 2-11 MABAS Box.

The fire department was assisted by a number of neighboring departments including Gardner, Odell, Pontiac, Braidwood, Campus-Emington, Cullom, Saunemin, Limestone, Herscher, Coal City, Morris, and Mazon, as well as Dwight and Duffy Ambulances.

Any further request for information can be directed to Fire Chief Paul Johnson or Deputy Fire Chief Justin Dyer.