In 1951, the Peanut Marketing Board (now PCA) hit the news headlines with
a fire at its Kingaroy silos.
Fortunately no one was seriously hurt but the fire completely destroyed the
original wooden silos built in 1928. The local newspaper, the South Burnett
Times, reported on the dramatic incident on February 8, 1951:
"A huge fire on Tuesday last caused damage estimated at more than £100,000
to the Queensland Peanut Marketing Board's silos and other installations
at Kingaroy.
No 1 silo, with approximately 700 tons of loose ungraded peanuts, and a
two-storied shed containing hundreds of thousands of empty bags were all
destroyed. The fire also spread to No 2 and No 4 cement silos and destroyed
some wooden framework.
Two firemen had narrow escapes when they fell after their ladders had snapped
when they had climbed 40 feet from the ground. Other firemen and some civilians
received minor injuries caused by falls and sheets of iron blown about by
the high wind.
The first alarm was raised about 1.10pm when smoke was seen rising from the
women's luncheon and rest room attached to the two-storied bag shed. Within
a few minutes the fire had spread to the 170 foot by 60 foot bag room. The
board's employees were quickly evacuated from the building which was reduced
to ruins within half an hour.
Fanned by a moderate wind, the fire spread along a peanut chute and broke
out in No 1 silo a few feet away. This section built in 1928 contained 58
bins which were wooden structures each 10 foot by 10 foot by 58 foot high.
They were all destroyed. Hundreds of tons of loose peanuts poured through
blazing gaps and piled feet deep outside the building.
Water from the Kingaroy water supply was diverted entirely to quelling the
blaze and maintaining a supply to the local hospital. Local residents joined
in the fight and greatly assisted the firemen in their efforts. Salvation
Army and Red Cross workers with other local women served food and refreshments
to the exhausted firemen.
Much valuable machinery for shelling, grading, cleaning etc and conveyor
belts were destroyed with the No 1 silo and bag shed.
Hoses were played on nearby buildings as well as on the three cement silos
in the board's premises. Volunteers carried pews, furniture and an altar
from the Church of England nearby and hoses were played on the church walls
when flames leaped in that direction.
A change of wind swept the blaze into the gutted buildings and surrounding
buildings were saved.
On Tuesday night the Manager of the Peanut Marketing Board (Mr J.A. Nesbitt)
said: "This is the greatest single calamity that the peanut industry or the
district has ever had. There will be a shortage of peanuts throughout Australia
for more than 12 months. The new harvest in April can still be treated but
bags are scarce and the machinery lost is nearly all irreplaceable."
[Newspaper article reproduced courtesy of the South Burnett Times; historic
photographs supplied by the Kingaroy Bicentennial Heritage Museum]
