Firefighters battle a massive blaze at Initiative Foods in Sanger (KFSN)
Sunday, July 24, 2016 09:46AM
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The blaze broke out around 2:30 a.m. and multiple agencies were called in to assist as it kept growing.
An employee on scene said about 80 to 90 percent of the business is gone. The fire started near the railroad tracks, spread to the factory area and moved into the warehouse. There's also a second building south of the factory that's affected, but the main concern has been keeping it away from the office building.
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Statement to employees from John Ypma
"Team members, we have suffered a terrible loss as the plant and warehouses are gone. Fortunately no one was injured and our brave fire fighters did a terrific job of keeping our neighbors safe. On Monday we will meet at the site and then move to our facility down on Industrial way. Please join me for an all employee meeting at 9:00 so that we can talk about our future. While a setback, we will continue and build better than ever." - John Ypma
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Initiative Foods fire in Sanger (#abc30insider Trevor J. Brown)
City fire departments from Sanger, Clovis and Fresno along with Cal Fire have responded to the fire. PG&E says many customers near the plant may be without power for some time.
Initiative foods started back in 2002. The company employs more than 120 people and is currently one of the largest baby food producers in the country. A production manager said they will execute a business continuity plan on Monday when they meet with employees to discuss the next steps.
All nearby city fire departments -- including Clovis, Madera, Tulare, Fresno and Cal Fire have responded to the blaze.
Stay with Action News and ABC30.com for more on this story
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Massive fire destroys Sanger baby food plant
Fire crews mop up early morning fire at baby food company in Sanger on Sunday, July 24, 2016. sflores@fresnobee.com
By Paul Schlesinger
pschlesinger@fresnobee.com
SANGER, CALIFORNIA
A fire early Sunday morning destroyed a block-long complex of buildings where Initiative Foods produces its specialty baby food products in central Sanger.
Fire crews from nearly a dozen fire agencies responded to battle the fire, which burned and smoldered for hours. Fire crews expected to remain on scene until Monday morning.
Company officials said employees had finished their last shift of the week shortly before the fire erupted before 3 a.m. The plant employs about 100 people, and company officials said workers would gather at another company location in Sanger on Monday morning to discuss what happens next for the company.
“Pretty much the property has been destroyed,” said John Mulligan, Sanger’s public works director. The damage is “pretty significant.”
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The Sanger Fire Department received word of the fire around 3 a.m. at Initiative Foods on 1117 K St., near Academy and Annadale avenues, Sanger Fire Chief Greg Tarascou said. Firefighters called for assistance after they arrived to find a considerable amount of flames at the plant.
Seventy-five fire crews from 11 different agencies, including Fresno, Clovis and Fresno County Fire responded to the blaze, Tarascou said.
The forward progress of the fire was stopped after 80 percent of the building was involved in flames, Tarascou said. Firefighters were in a defensive posture against blaze late Sunday morning as they continue to put out massive fires inside the building.
Tarascou expects firefighters to remain at the scene through Sunday night and into Monday as they continue to fight blaze.
Tarascou estimated that the buildings at the site encompassed around 200,000 square feet of space. There were no injuries to employees, but fire crews faced several challenges, including a loss of water pressure when power to a well pump lost its electrical connection due to the fire, and summer heat.
Sanger residents stopped by with extra drinking water, and Sequoia Chevrolet, a block from the fire, opened its doors to give firefighters a breather, the chief said.
Initiative Foods makes Nature’s Promise baby foods and the Organic store brand seen at Sprouts and Safeway/Von’s stores.
James Ypma, production manager and safety coordinator for Initiative Foods, said the fire started minutes after employees had just left the plant after finishing their final shift of the week.
Ypma said approximately 100 employees worked at the plant and the company plans to hold a meeting Monday morning at its facility near North Avenue and Industrial Way to discuss its next steps.
Ypma also added that the company has initiated its business continuity plan. He isn’t sure how the fire will affect its clients.
“We’re going to take it one day at a time,” Ypma said. “As we build toward a brighter future.”
Ypma said no employees have been injured in the blaze.
Ypma commended firefighters and paramedics for their efforts. He said he received offers of support from numerous community members.
Initiative Foods owner John Ypma, in an email to employees, said the plant and the warehouses “are gone,” according to a report on the Herald’s Facebook page.
Mulligan, the Sanger public works director, received word of the massive blaze around 4 a.m. after firefighters were hindered by water pressure loss from a nearby well after power was cut to it due to downed power lines.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. was notified of the downed lines and arrived minutes later to restore power to the well. Firefighters were able to continue their battle against the blaze without further issue.
As fire crews continue to wrestle the blaze, the impact to the company and the city would be big because of the approximately hundreds of employees that work at the plant.
The public works director said he has kept in touch with the company owner on the fire as he returns from New York.
Mulligan stayed with fire crews throughout the morning and witnessed the damage caused by the blaze
A one block radius around the plant has been closed due to the blaze, including Academy Avenue, as fire crews continue to put out the inferno.
As the battle over the fire is expected to continue for quite some time, city public works crews have been sent to help firefighters as they breach walls and pump excess water from the area, Mulligan said.
This story will be updated.