BURLINGTON, Wis. — It took more than 300 firefighters from 102 fire departments the better part of a day to get a handle on an eight-alarm fire at a frozen food factory. And they did it with no reported injuries.
Fire officials told local media outlets that firefighters worked in 5-hour shifts to keep from spending too much time in the freezing cold and high winds. Some firefighters used tarps to create makeshift windscreens on their rigs.
Investigation into the cause of the fire and extent of its damages is now under way.
According to the Sun-Times, the plant sprawled across 70,000 square feet. Hazardous materials teams were on site due to the ammonia and liquid oxygen. Fire-suppression measures and the plant’s safety systems prevented its ammonia from leaking.
The fire was restricted mainly to the production area of the plant, Burlington Fire Chief Richard Lodle told the Associated Press. The warehouse area was separated by fire walls and was not burned, he said.