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The 5:20 a.m. fire at M&R Grain at 1106 Newcomer Road started in a metal bin used for drying corn, Mount Joy Third Assistant Chief Barry Leber said.
Leber said the unit over-dried the corn, which then ignited inside the 30-foot-by-20-foot metal structure that is similar to a small silo.
At the time of the fire, the bin contained about 60,000 bushels of corn, he said.
When crews arrived, Leber said the structure had already begun to buckle with the sides coming apart at the seams.
He said flames could be seen inside the upper portion of the structure.
Although the blaze was declared under control within about 90 minutes, crews spent several hours unloading the bin and wetting down the corn, Leber said.
Units were cleared from the scene at about 4 p.m.
Leber said damage to the corn and the structure is estimated at $65,000. He said the lower portion of the bin, which is still standing, may be salvageable but the majority of the structure was destroyed.
No employees were at the plant when the fire broke out. Leber said the blaze was reported by a neighbor.
In addition to Mount Joy, fire crews from West Hempfield, Hempfield, Columbia No. 1, Mastersonville, Rheems and Marietta assisted at the scene.
