Dakota Mill and Grain loses long standing elevator in Philip

Dakota Mill and Grain, southwest area of Philip, experienced a devastating fire that completely took out their feed mill and another building directly next to the elevator. At approximately 4:30 Wednesday morning, December 4th, workers smelled smoke and once the fire was found, there was no access to it. Marty Hansen, Philip Volunteer Fire Dept. and others were on the scene at approximately 5:00 a.m. They started to see embers and then flames in the middle bin that held distillers grain. There were six total bins to draw feed from in the elevator.
"From the moment we saw the fire and where it was at, we knew there was no way we could get up into the fire at that time,” said Marty Hansen. We organized a perimeter around the fire to help protect Hanson Oil, directly to the north of the elevator and the community of Pfeiferville on the south side of Bad River. It was an act of God that there was no dust explosion. That would have put the bulk fuel tanks in jeopardy."
"The southwest wind was taking the flames and smoke and actual wood 2x4 pieces with red hot flames across the Bad River," said Roger Williams of the Philip Volunteer Fire Dept. "There were trucks on standby on every side keeping a close eye on the buildings and cooled with water if needed," said Williams.
"The fire actually over time, burned down real well," said Hansen. "There were over 110 fire fighters on the scene quickly and joining Philip Volunteer Fire Dept. and the local communities surrounding Philip was The South Dakota Wildland Fire Fighters and others from the Black Hills Region.”
The original grain elevator was burned down in 1951 and the structure that was lost on Wednesday was built in 1952.
Highway 73 through Philip was closed as was the railroad. "The fire was contained at approximately 6:30 p.m.," said Hansen, "and the train went through at approximately 8:00 p.m.”