Fire breaks out at vegetable processing plant in Firebaugh

FIREBAUGH, Calif. (KFSN) -- Flames broke out at a vegetable processing plant in Firebaugh early Monday morning.

Around 8:30 am, firefighters responded to the Red Rooster facility on M and 12th streets.

Firebaugh firefighters believe it was a downed line that sparked the fire.

"The line had fallen across some cardboard boxes which initiated the fire. The effort was hampered a little bit due to the power lines so we went into a defensive mode," said Firebaugh Fire Chief Michael Molina.

The company was currently in the process of packing green tomatoes.

Pallets and cardboard used to pack and distribute the produce went up in flames in minutes, forcing employees to quickly evacuate.

"During the season, I would say they are pushing 200 employees," explained Molina "I would say this is a sad situation. We're a small community and this affects, a lot of their employees who live in the city. So, it's gonna impact the city drastically."

Molina says Madera County and Fresno County crews helped them get control of the fire.

Fire officials say as they get a closer look at the operational impact, the cost of damages could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The estimated loss does not include the two employee vehicles that were destroyed.

The facility hopes to resume packing operations in the next couple of days

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