Corn dust ignited at a silo in Maricopa on Monday, causing an explosion that severely burned three workers.
Maricopa police Sgt. Stephen Judd says the men were taken by helicopter to the Maricopa Medical Center’s burn unit with second- and third-degree burns, mostly to their face, arms, and hands.
He says they were in stable but serious condition.
Judd says the explosion occurred at the Arizona Grain Inc. silo around 9 a.m. as employees were offloading corn dust into a pit.
Big scoops lift the dust from the pit into an elevator that takes it to the silo.
Judd says it’s unclear what ignited the corn dust.
He says the explosion was significant enough to tear steel anchoring rods out of concrete. There was no subsequent fire after the initial explosion.
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