Fire at Gar Tootelian, Inc. ag chemical plant near Reedley causes more than $2M in damage
August 06, 2017 12:57 PM
The Gar Tootelian agricultural chemical plant east of Reedley caught fire Sunday, causing more than an estimated $2 million in damage and sending up a plume of smoke that was visible across a wide area.
Fire crews from an array of agencies, including from Fresno County Cal Fire, Tulare County, Reedley and Dinuba, responded to the four-alarm fire near Crawford and South avenues just before noon. More than 100 firefighters were participating in the response.
Cal Fire Capt. Jeremiah Wittwer said crews had contained the fire by early Sunday afternoon, but mop up wasn’t expected to be finished until Sunday evening. He said the fire burned about 25 percent of the 16,000 square-foot complex. Initial reports had put the space estimate at about 20,000 square feet.
Some workers were at the plant when the fire broke out, Wittwer said, but no one was injured. Fire officials were unsure of the cause.
The area is largely rural, but an aerial photograph of the area shows several farming operations and Gar Tootelian’s agricultural chemicals business south of the intersection of Crawford and South avenues.
Established in 1949, Gar Tootelian, Inc. provides the most advanced, environmentally safe, bio-technology & crop services available, tailored to the individual growers needs. With the highest quality conventional, EPA registered products & the very best OMRI listed organic products, our full service specialists are your resource team for maximized crop yields. GAR’s PCA’s are results driven, with 800+ years combined experience in helping growers formulate systems of complete nutrition, micro-irrigation, control of weeds, pests & disease. Our expert advice, teamed with AGRIAN technology, will help you establish a profit centered business plan for years to come.
Gar Tootelian, Inc. is a distributor for major & generic agricultural chemical producers. In addition, GAR is a founding member of Integrated Agribusiness Professionals, (IAP) which allows us to compete with all of the major distributors of agricultural inputs. This competitive edge ensures our growers the highest value products & services at low, nationally advertised prices. Our services include; pest diagnosis & control, yield monitoring, water conservation & management, soil analysis, crop analysis, complete nutrition & GPS tracked applications. GAR also offers programs for Regulatory Compliance Documentation and Food Safety Certification.
REEDLEY, Calif. (FOX26 News) -- The Fresno County Fire Department is now estimating there is $2 million worth of damage in the Gar Tootelian, Inc facility fire in Reedley.
Crews say a call came in just after 11:30 a.m. on Sunday about a vegetation fire near the building.
When firefighters arrived they saw 25% of the building was engulfed in flames.
The Fresno County Fire Captain says crews were able to knock down the fire but that as of 3:00 pm.m Sunday they were in defense mode.
He says the building contains fertilizer and several other farming chemicals which are being identified.
Fire officials say five to six water tenders were used to help fight the fire because there were limited water sources out there.
Thankfully, there have been no reports of anyone that was hurt during this incident, according to firefighters.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.