PORTLAND -- An explosion at the Land O' Lakes plant in North Portland about 8:30 p.m. Friday night caused about $100,000, according to Portland Fire Bureau spokeswoman Kim Kosmas.
The explosion was on the third-floor of the plant 15840 N. Simmons Road. A machine called "corn cracker" had created a dust explosion. No employees were in the area of the blast.
The "corn cracker" mixes hot and cold materials that are distributed to other parts of the plant, Kosmas said. It overheated and created the dust explosion which sent embers into several silos.
It took fire crews two hours to locate and put out hot spots in the building and the silos. Equipment sent to the scene included four engines, two trucks and a fire boat.
