PHILIP, S.D. – Fire departments from across Western South Dakota battled a grain elevator fire in Philip yesterday.
The fire at the Dakota Mill and Grain Elevator on Park Avenue prompted a significant emergency response.
The blaze, reported shortly after 4 a.m., led to the closure of Highway 73 through Philip as well as local access from Interstate 90. Multiple agencies from a three-county area joined forces to contain the fire.
Crews quickly set up a safety perimeter as the flames spread to a nearby grass field, threatening residential properties.
“Our contingency plan was in place,” said Jerome Harvey, Pennington County Fire Administrator. “The Philip Fire Department put together a really good action plan, got firefighters in place, and were able to pick that up.
The grain elevator has been declared a total loss. Firefighters chose to let it burn out while focusing their efforts on protecting surrounding structures and preventing further spread of the fire.
No injuries have been reported, and officials are continuing to investigate the fire’s cause.
