[rectang]

> ... 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+...

[toomanybeersies]

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.

[ucaetano]

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

[dbcurtis]

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.