DECATUR, ILLINOIS, U.S. — Milling operations were expected to resume as early as May 11 at the Buffalo, New York, U.S., flour mill of ADM Milling Co. A fire at the mill May 7 forced the evacuation and shut down of the facility. 

With daily flour milling capacity of 23,700 cwts, the Buffalo mill is the largest of the 23 U.S. mills operated by ADM, accounting for 8.4% of the company’s U.S. capacity. The mill is the seventh largest flour mill in the U.S. and is the largest still in operation in Buffalo, historically a leading U.S. flour milling center. 

The company was indicated to be supplying customers of the Buffalo mill from its flour mills in Hudson, New York, U.S., and Camp Hills, Pennsylvania, U.S. 

Modest strength in the Buffalo millfeed market was attributed to the mill shut down and interruption of supply. 

ADM said the fire broke out in a dust collector in the cleaning house of the mill. 

“ADM immediately evacuated the facility and contacted the local fire department,” the company said in a statement. “Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.” 

Sources indicated that the mill did not sustain significant damage, and that work toward resumption of operations largely was limited to cleanup work related to the facility’s sprinkler systems that were set off by the fire.