Fire put out at pet food factory
An overnight fire caused a large amount of smoke to fill a pet food factory.
The blaze began at about 10:30 Monday night at United Valley Pet Food on the 400 block of Inglewood drive. The battalion chief at the scene tells ABC-7 that dog food inside a large dryer unit caught fire. The machine is used to dry pet food products before it’s packaged and prepared for sale.
When fire crews arrived the large dryer unit about 12 by 30 feet, filled with dog food was smoldering inside the facility. We are told the dog food ignited, causing a large amount of smoke. At least two employees were there at the time, but they were not injured.
Damage to the facility was minimal. We are told it was contained to the dryer unit, which is now out of service. El Paso Electric crews were also checking out some minor electrical damage.
Firefighters say this fire was difficult to put out because it was difficult to get water into the machine. They were concerned with all the smoke in the area, but it was put out quickly enough before posing a problem to nearby homes. Fire investigators are still working on figuring out an estimated amount of damage. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation.
