USCG released alert regarding the wood pellet fire hazards

The United States Coast Guard has released a safety alert regarding the wood pellet fire hazards.

Two unmanned hopper barges carrying wood pellets with binders caught fire at a Mississippi River facility over a two-week period, resulting in $355,000 in damages each time.

The fires were caused by spontaneous combustion, a rare but not unprecedented occurrence.

The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code warns that wood pellets with additives may ferment, leading to spontaneous combustion if moisture content exceeds 15%.

Inspections of other wood pellet barges in the fleet revealed various hazards, such as visible moisture, cargo decay, elevated temperatures (168°F), and gases from cargo decomposition.

Some of these conditions likely preceded the fires.

The initial hazard was smoke from smoldering pellets, melting hopper covers and escalating the situation.

The Coast Guard strongly advises shippers and barge operators to:

Isolate cargo from external moisture by halting operations during bad weather and maintaining hopper covers.
Minimize long-term storage on barges.
Conduct regular temperature readings to detect early cargo decomposition.
Ensure frequent rounds by personnel to identify signs of smoldering.

This safety alert was released on 27 November 2023.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):