SAN JUAN, TX - Devastating news has come out of South Texas today as Rio Fresh revealed a structure fire has caused a large portion of damage to its largest fresh onion packing facility. The blaze broke out on the evening of Thursday, March 31, and in the wake of the incident, the company has issued a statement addressing the tragic event.
The statement, which was sent out by the Texas International Produce Association (TIPA), reads:
“Last night, a massive fire overtook our onion packing facility. Our family and team are devastated over our loss, but we remain thankful.
Our employees and family were able to evacuate the facility, and everyone made it out safely. We thank God for this tremendous blessing. First responders from across the valley showed up to help contain a fire that seemed to know no end. Thank you to these brave men and women who put their life on the line to do this critical work.
We are especially grateful to our employees who showed up to help and support us. They stood by our side and worked tirelessly to help us salvage anything possible to minimize the damage. We would be nowhere without these faithful teammates, and we humbly thank them.
Farming families are accustomed to storms and trials. At this time, our team is working with the community to identify continuation plans as we are still mid-season with a bountiful crop before us. We continually count our blessings and look forward to brighter days and better seasons. Trusting God, we will put one foot in front of the other to rebuild our business—always remembering how much we have to be thankful for.
Please pray for our family and employees. God is good.
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8.”
Rio Fresh is a third-generation, family farming operation based out of South Texas. The company grows, packs, and ships a variety of Texas-grown items including Texas 1015 Sweet Onions, melons, greens, cabbage, and kale.
Our thoughts are with those at Rio Fresh as they deal with the aftermath of this heartbreaking incident.
