What kind of fire takes 7.5 million gallons of water to get under control — and keeps burning?
One fueled by 3 million bushels of corn.
It’s been 25 days since a fire engulfed a massive grain storage dome operated by The Andersons Inc. in Hemlock — just West of Saginaw — requiring more than 150 firefighters from across Michigan to rush to the small town to fight the towering flames.
Rob Grose watched the night of Dec. 18, 2022, as fire crews tendered in water from nearby Thomas Township, running “like clockwork” to move the initial 3.4 million gallons in to douse the blaze.
“I'm truly proud of our fire department,” said Grose, who serves as the supervisor of Richland Township, which encompasses Hemlock.
“They really went above and beyond here. Same thing with mutual aid throughout the state. It was like clockwork, like they worked together for years. It was just amazing.”
All told, there were more than 80 fire departments that helped in the immediate aftermath. While those crews have long since returned home, the cause of the fire still hasn’t been determined.
An investigation by the Michigan State Police (MSP) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is still ongoing, according to Grose. They’ve since released the scene to the Andersons.
“There is a fire going deep, deep down into the grain,” Grose told Michigan Farm News. “Every time you move the corn, it'll spark up a little bit because it's getting more oxygen.”
The Andersons brought in a salvage company from Iowa that’s started sifting through the corn that’s left and screening out debris using special equipment and two large cranes, according to Grose.
His understanding is that the company is waiting for USDA and FDA officials to give them permission to move the corn off-site while they wait to learn if the remaining corn could be reclaimed for use in ethanol, and/or cattle feed.
It’s a process Grose said will probably take several months. Until then, he said the site is being monitored by the specialty crews brought in from Iowa that have cameras set up to watch the scene around the clock.
While that process plays out, there’s a mountain of uncertainty for the tight-knit community that’s as big as the still-smoldering grain pile itself.
“We’re ag-dependent here,” Grose noted, adding that it’s “devastating right now” to think about what’s ahead for farmers.
“The issue, quite frankly, for the farmers in this area is what are they going to do with their products next fall? And we're not sure, we don't have an answer for that yet.”.......more below
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The Empire of Chaos is relentless. Lawfare, destabilizations, sanctions, kidnappings, color revolutions, false flags, annexations: 2025 will be the year of BRICS – plus BRICS partners – as choice targets under fire.
Inestimable Prof. Michael Hudson coined “chaos” as official US policy. That’s bipartisan – and it runs across all silos of the Deep State.
In the absence of long-term strategic vision, and amidst the progressive imperial expulsion from Eurasia, all that’s left for the Hegemon is to unleash chaos from West Asia to Europe and parts of Latin America – a concerted attempt to Divide and Rule BRICS and thwart their collective drive affirming sovereignty and the primacy of national ...
While NATO may be yearning to take on Russia in the Arctic, many of its troops lack the necessary expertise for survival in such extreme conditions.
Although NATO forces regularly participate in drills in the region, many remain unprepared for the harsh realities of Arctic life.
Though NATO forces routinely participate in the bloc’s drills in the region, many of them are still not prepared to survive in the Arctic’s harsh conditions, The Sun reports citing Minna Alander, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
"Not all NATO allies have the capabilities that are needed and that work in the Arctic environment and climate,” Alander said.....more below
