Around 40 firefighters have tackled a fire at a Weetabix factory in the USA, which started when cereal dust ignited in machinery ducting.

The fire on the fifth floor of the plant in Clinton, Massachusetts was reported at around 8.40pm on 4 August – towards the end of the evening shift at the factory. Approximately 45 employees had to evacuate the building while crews tackled the fire.

The plant was shut down for 48 hours while the damage was repaired and machinery cleaned.

Speaking to the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, Clinton’s fire chief, Richard Hart, said he planned to speak to the company about improving duct cleaning procedures.

"Cereal dust is a problem,” he said. “It’s fine and dry and doesn’t take much of a flame to ignite. It goes right through those ovens. All kinds of things contribute to a kind of hazardous situation there.”

He also confirmed there had been a number of similar fires at the plant in recent years.

Chuck Green, vice president of sales for Weetabix in north America, told info4fire.com that the company would continue to work with the fire department to reduce the risk of such fires. “We have responded to all [the fire service’s] requests, have worked together on a number of problems, and continue to meet on a regular basis. We have added staffing and sanitation which monitors dust levels and have implemented a plant-wide dust efficiency programme.”

The factory, owned by the UK based cereal company, started production in Clinton in 1936, and is the town’s second largest employer. It produces a range of breakfast cereals including Weetabix and Alpen.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette report and photo