Wood Pellet Mills Are Prone to Catching Fire. Why Build Them in California?

Wood pellets, by design, are highly flammable. The small pieces of compressed woody leftovers, like sawdust, are used in everything from home heating to grilling. But their flammable nature has made for dangerous work conditions: Since 2010, at least 52 fires have broken out at the facilities that make wood pellets across the US, according to a database of incidents compiled by the Southern Environmental Law Center.

Of the 15 largest wood pellet facilities, at least eight have had fires or explosions since 2014, according to the Environmental Integrity Project, a nonprofit founded by a former director of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

At the same time, the world’s largest biomass company, Drax, is cutting down trees across North America with a promise to sell them as a replacement for fossil fuels. But even its track record is checkered with accidents.

In South Shields ...