IVANHOE, CA – This morning, a three-alarm fire destroyed the packinghouse at Phillips Farms.
The fire broke about 1 a.m. at Phillips Farms just north of Ivanhoe, according to the Tulare County Fire Department.
The Fresno Bee reports that luckily no one was injured, but a large propane tank did explode in the blaze. The tank landed a quarter mile away.
“When that thing let go, that was a fireball you would not believe,” Division Chief Charlie Norman told the Bee. Firefighters were able to hear the hissing from the tank and stayed clear, he added.
Doug Phillips, owner of the packinghouse, told the Bee that damage to the plant and to the fruit waiting to be packed and shipped totals in the millions of dollars. The cold storage unit was loaded with quince, peaches, Asian pears and more, he added. Luckily, firefighters were able to save the office.
Small spot fires broke out periodically in piles of charred fruit, but the fire is expected to burn itself out over two days. The cause of the fire is currently unknown and is under investigation by experts from the Visalia, Porterville and Tulare County fire departments.
