A roasting unit (about 30 feet high and 10 feet wide) started to smoke inside the former Bremner Food Group/Ralcorp processing plant in Dothan, Alabama, shortly before 10 pm.
No injuries
ConAgra Foods representative Monique Farmer told FoodProductionDaily staff was present but the facility had shut down operations for the day.
“Employees immediately evacuated the building and the fire department was contacted to extinguish a small fire that developed inside the roaster, but did not spread,” she said. “No one was injured.”
Thorough response
The Dothan Fire Department (DFD) reportedly stayed at the scene for approximately two hours to ensure the fire was completely extinguished and would not restart or spread. A DFD spokesperson said the agency could not comment on the matter until the investigation into the fire’s origin had completed.
Farmer added company officials also are keenly interested in what caused the fire that put the roasting equipment out of commission.
“We are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our employees and are actively investigating the root cause of the fire,” she said.
The affected facility originally was operated by the Bremner Food Group. Ralcorp Holdings acquired Bremner in 1978, and ConAgra purchased Ralcorp in 2012.
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