Investigators determine cause of Cornelius ethanol fire March 17 2021
Static from the fuel mixing process appears to have started the fire at Thunderbolt Racing Fuel and Summit Foods.
Fire investigators have concluded that static during the racing fuel production process was likely to blame for the three-alarm fire at the Summit Foods and Thunderbolt Racing Fuel facility in the 500 block of North Fourth Avenue Tuesday, March 16.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue said that after investigating the scene and speaking with employees, investigators learned that an employee felt intense heat while transferring super unleaded gasoline from one metal drum to another, which contained ethanol part of the mixing process to make the high-quality racing fuel.
Cause of Cornelius ethanol blaze determined
March 17, 2021
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CORNELIUS, Ore. (AP) Officials say a large fire Tuesday at a Cornelius ethanol facility west of Portland was likely caused by static while employees were transferring fuel between metal drums.
Fire crews responded to the blaze about 1:30 p.m. after reports of a fuel tank on fire. The flames erupted at the Summit Foods Inc. complex, which also houses subsidiary Thunderbolt Racing Fuel, where the fire started, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Crews initially worked to extinguish the fire but were pulled back to a safe distance because of “explosions and erratic fire conditions,” according to Forest Grove Fire & Rescue spokesperson Matt Johnston.