Prevented A Multi-Million Dollar Fire Loss

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, the facility turned to us for our expertise in fire recovery and commodity salvage.

Challenges

• A wheat fire in a steel bin risked spreading to adjacent bins, endangering more inventory.
• Extinguishing the wheat fire while maintaining the structural integrity of the bin.
• Finding viable end markets for damaged wheat to minimize financial losses.

Our Approach

Accident Discovery & Cause Identification

• Upon arrival, we conducted a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
• Identifying the source helped in mitigating further risk.

Rapid Wheat Fire Extinguishment

• We deployed specialized silo fire-extinguishing equipment to quickly contain and suppress the fire before it could spread to adjacent bins.
• The steel bin remained structurally intact, preventing a larger disaster.

Market Recovery & Financial Impact

• Through our quick response and innovative salvage techniques, we helped the customer find end markets for the damaged wheat, limiting the loss to $500,000.
• Without our intervention, the fire could have resulted in losses amounting to several million dollars.

Outcome & Customer Benefit

• The facility avoided a total loss scenario, significantly reducing financial damage.
• The salvaged wheat product led to substantial revenue recovery, proving the effectiveness of West Side Salvage’s rapid response and strategic approach.
• Adjacent wheat storage bins were saved, preventing further losses and structural damage.

Conclusion

Our expertise in fire recovery not only saved the customer from catastrophic financial loss but also demonstrated the value of quick action and innovative problem-solving in agricultural salvage operations. By identifying the fire’s cause and rapidly extinguishing the wheat fire, we helped secure significant financial recovery—turning a potential disaster into a remarkable salvage success story.