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> ... built almost entirely from wood, and with fine grain clogging every crevice of most elevators, the ageing buildings are highly combustible.

A YouTube search for "grain elevator fire" shows why "Once they start burning, the local fire department can't put them out."

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=grain+elevator+...

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On a similar note, shearing sheds tend to also be incredibly flammable. The oily lanolin from the sheep's wool gets embedded into the timber, basically making the building a big greasy tinderbox.

It isn't just "can't put them out", grain dust is explosive. Grain elevators are time bombs.

Not after the dust has settled and been removed. Aerosol dust, yes nasty. But inless there is enough of it it and also aerosolized, it won’t explode.

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