Dust Explosion Triggers Fire at ARAUCO Facility in Arkansas; No Injuries Reported

A dust explosion at ARAUCO's facility on Willamette Road in Arkansas sparked a fire on the afternoon of June 27, prompting a multi-agency emergency response. No civilian injuries were reported.

According to Glen Rose Fire District Interim Chief Wes Copeland, firefighters were dispatched at 3:56 p.m. following reports of an explosion at the plant.

Upon arrival, emergency crews found heavy fire in the bag house silos located outside the building and began extinguishing the blaze. As additional personnel arrived, firefighters entered the facility and identified a second fire involving the plant's sander machine.

Firefighters also located flames in the duct system connecting the sander to the silos, where the fire had spread through the dust collection system. Crews worked to extinguish the fire both inside the facility and within the silos. The Hot Spring County Department of Emergency Management deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging to help identify remaining hot spots.

According to fire officials, emergency crews remained at the scene for approximately three and a half to four hours.

Although an initial emergency dispatch indicated one person might have been injured, firefighters later confirmed that the facility had been evacuated and all employees were accounted for. No civilian injuries were reported, while two firefighters were treated at the scene for mild heat exhaustion.

Approximately 30 firefighters from departments across Hot Spring and Saline counties responded to the incident. Agencies assisting included the Malvern, South Malvern, Rockport, Magnet Cove, Southwest, Perla, Turtle Creek, Lonsdale, Haskell, Morning Star, Sheridan, and Tull fire departments, along with the Hot Spring County Sheriff's Office, Hot Spring County Office of Emergency Management, and LifeNet EMS.

Copeland thanked ARAUCO personnel for their assistance during the emergency response and acknowledged the company's previous collaboration with local fire departments to develop pre-incident emergency response plans for the facility.