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By LANCE MARTIN

rrspin.com

GARYSBURG – Firefighters worked overnight and remain on the scene today (Wednesday) as they contain a peanut warehouse fire associated with the Hampton Farms Company Store in Garysburg.

Garysburg fire Chief Roy Bell said this morning about a third of the warehouse is totaled.

“Right now they’re pretty much letting it burn. We’re keeping it from getting to the other part of the building,” Bell said.

The other part of the building Bell referred to is a retail store where people can buy products such as peanuts and candies made from the company’s product.

Early speculation is that the fire may have started from a fan in the warehouse.

“When the guys got up there they thought it might have come from a fan,” Bell stated. “When they got up there they realized they needed to get out because of all that dust. A lot of people don’t realize that dust catches on fire. They had to get out so they couldn’t do a real good assessment.”

Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator Tony Burnette said since the beginning of the fire Tuesday throughout this morning there have been no injuries.

Some 90 to 100 firefighters have assisted in containing the blaze, he said.

“Everybody is working well together. It’s a testament to our personnel working together for a common goal to keep the community safe. I’m happy and pleased with the work I’ve seen from local and state personnel. We are thankful to everyone who has played a part in this,” Burnette said.

The fire probably started around 9 a.m. Tuesday, Severn Peanut Vice President J.P. Watson said Tuesday.

The warehouse is used to store peanuts right out of the field, also known as farm stock peanuts.

He said the company does not operate a shelling plant at the Garysburg facility.

There is the retail outlet and the warehouse for storing farm stock peanuts.

Watson said Tuesday that despite the damages the company plans to rebuild.

Hampton Farms bought the peanut processing plant from John B. San Filippo & Sons about two-and-half years ago.

(Lance Martin is the Editor and Publisher of www.rrspin.com. Permission was received to publish this story.)