Georgia peanut warehouse smoulders 36 hours after fire began
by The Associated Press
Firefighters Thursday were trying to remove 11 million pounds of peanuts from the warehouse Thursday while still battling hotspots
DOUGLAS, Ga.—Firefighters were still trying Thursday to fully extinguish a blaze a south Georgia peanut warehouse, more than 36 hours after it started.
Coffee County Fire Chief Steve Carver told The Associated Press that a warehouse at Premium Peanut in Douglas caught fire before dawn Wednesday. Firefighters arrived to find flames leaping through the roof of the facility, where shelled peanuts are pressed into peanut oil. Premium Peanut, the farmer-owned co-operative that owns the facility, says it is the largest peanut shelling plant in the world.
Firefighters Thursday were trying to remove 11 million pounds (5 million kilograms) of peanuts from the warehouse Thursday while still battling hotspots, cutting off the supply of fuel for the fire, Carver said. He said the warehouse and the peanuts are total losses, but firefighters saved separate buildings, including the peanut oil press and a receiving building. The warehouse had no sprinklers, according to Carver.
Firefighters hope to have all the peanuts removed and the fire out by Friday or Saturday.
Premium Peanut CEO Karl Zimmer didn’t immediately respond Thursday to a phone call and an email seeking comment. The state Fire Marshal’s office is investigating.
