Here is the growing list of Food facility fires including markets, factories and food processing warehouses, in the US, Canada and abroad in 2022. As people are concerned about food security this list will be updated regularly. Please contribute if you know of any plant or food facility fires or damage not recorded on this list.
US Food Facility Fires (28)
January 2, 2022 Van Drunen Farms Tuthill Facility, Momence, Illinois, USA
Seven percent of the 80,000-square-foot Van Drunen Farms freeze-drying facility in Momence, Illinois was burned and declared a “total loss.” The fire started at 6 a.m. and no employees were on site. Van Drunen has plants all over the country, but this is their largest—their “main” facility.
January 13, 2022 Cargill-Nutrena Feed Mill, Lecompte, Louisiana, USA
A fire was reported at around 4 a.m. at the 140,000-ton Cargill-Nutrena livestock and pet-feed mill in Lecompte, Louisiana. A building on the property burned for 12 hours and caused no injuries. The fire was blamed on an explosion.
January 22, 2022 Oregon Potato Company, Warden, Washington, USA
An explosion attributed to a faulty boiler destroyed the Oregon Potato Company plant in Warden, Washington. This plant supplies corn and potato chips to much of the Western US. This fire occurred around noon. Employees called 9-1-1. Seven employees checked into a nearby hospital. No serious injuries were reported. The blaze was the largest the Umatilla County fire district had seen in a decade.
January 31, 2022 Winston Weaver Company, Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA
At around 7 p.m. on January 31, 150 firefighters were called to a massive fire at the Winston Weaver Company fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The blaze was so large that it was allowed to burn. Everyone within a 1-mile radius of the plant was ordered to evacuate for fear that the 5,000 tons of finished fertilizer and 600 tons of ammonium nitrate present in the plant would explode. No injuries or deaths were reported—an especially fortunate outcome considering that just a few years earlier, a very similar type of fire at a Weaver Company facility killed 15 people.
February 3, 2022 Wisconsin River Meats, Mauston, Wisconsin USA
An overnight fire destroyed nearly the entire infrastructure of the Wisconsin River Meats manufacturing plant in Mauston, Wisconsin. Most of the plant was considered a total loss. No livestock or employees were injured. Without a facility, co-owner David Mauer says the company will have to rebuild.
February 16,2022, Louis Dreyfus Company, Claypool, Indiana, USA
Around 8 p.m., a baghouse used for filtering dust caught fire at the country’s largest soy-processing plant. No employees were injured. At the time of the fire, experts worried that the disruption would slow the production of soybean meal in the US.
February 18, 2022 Bess View Farm, St. Albans, Vermont, USA
In the early morning of Friday, February 18, a fire devastated the milk parlor at Bess View Farm. Dairy cows had to be transported to facilities in the surrounding areas for care, interrupting Bess View operations. No injuries were reported.
February 22,2022, Shearer’s Foods, Hermiston, Oregon, USA
A Shearer’s Foods manufacturing plant (specializing in salty snacks, cookies, and crackers) was set ablaze after a boiler exploded, injuring a handful of the over 230 employees of the facility. Former plant safety manager Stephen Dean expressed surprise that no one died, given the extent of the damage. The building will take 15 to 18 months to rebuild.
February 28, 2022, Nutrien Ag Solution, Sunnyside, Washington , USA
A fire at the Nutrien Ag Solution facility in Sunnyside, Washington was reported at around noon on Monday, February 28. An evacuation order was issued to all buildings located within a half-mile radius of the facility. The fire burned through 1.7 million pounds of sulfur used for fertilizer. No one was injured in the blaze.
March 13, 2022 Wayne Hoover Farm, Longswamp Township, Pennsylvania, USA
Fire erupted at around 5 p.m. at the Wayne Hoover dairy farm in Longswamp Township, Pennsylvania. Animals were transported for care to nearby farms and facilities. A total of 42 cows were displaced, significantly disrupting farm operations. No injuries were reported.
March 16, 2022 Nestle Frozen Foods, Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA
A fire that took 24 hours to extinguish broke out in a production cooler at the Nestle plant in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The blaze started at 4:30 p.m. None of the 800 plant employees were injured in the fire. The plant produces frozen foods for the Nestle’s Hot Pocket, Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, DiGiorno, and Tombstone brands. The plant was shut down for an extended period, significantly delaying food production.
March 16, 2022 Plainfield Walmart Fulfillment Center, Avon, Indiana USA
A 1.2-million-square-foot Walmart Fulfillment Center (the size of 20 football fields) burned for multiple days in Avon, Indiana—350 fire fighters and 30 fire agencies fought the blaze, which consumed massive stocks of food bound for locations all over the country. According to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, the loss put a “strain” on the company’s supply chain system. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is still investigating the fire’s cause, months later.
March 24, 2022 Penobscot McCrum Potato Processing, Belfast, Maine USA
A plant that produces specialty frozen potato products caught fire at 3 a.m. in Belfast, Maine, according to local officials. It is believed that the fire was started in one of the facility’s large “fryolator” machines. Witnesses reported that the building on fire was the administrative office. No employees were injured.
March 28, 2022 Maricopa Food Pantry, Maricopa, Arizona, USA
A sudden fire broke out at the Maricopa Food Pantry in Maricopa, Arizona. The blaze spread quickly, stoked by trailers full of refrigeration fuel. 50,000 pounds of food were lost, which will have a detrimental effect on a community which one resident described as not having “many food banks.” No one was hurt in the fire.
March 31, 2022 Rio Fresh, San Juan, Texas, USA
An enormous fire overtook an onion-packing facility in San Juan, Texas. These key facilities are part of the largest onion-packing operation in southern Texas. No injuries were reported.
April 11, 2022 East Conway Beef and Pork, Center Conway, New Hampshire USA
On the evening of Monday, April 11, a coalition of first responders in Center Conway, New Hampshire, were called to a massive fire at East Conway Beef and Pork. Despite 16 hours at the scene, the building burned down to the foundation. Neighbors helped save cattle living at the facility. No one was reported injured.
April 13,2022, Gem State Processing Plant, Heyburn, Idaho USA
At approximately 8 a.m., a single-engine plane registered with Spirit Air crashed into the Gem State Processing Plant in Heyburn, Idaho. The pilot was flying solo and was killed in the crash. No other injuries were reported. Gem State Processing Plant sources 18,000 acres of Idaho potatoes.
April 13,2022, Taylor Farms, Salinas, CA California USA
On the evening of April 13, just after 7 p.m., a 4-alarm fire was reported at the Taylor Farms processing facility in Salinas, California. The facility is a food service production and distribution operation for wholesale salads and shredded lettuce. Because of the threat of combustion from 35,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on site, fire officials evacuated the nearby area. The facility was a total loss. Taylor Farms plans to rebuild and reopen the site by spring 2023. No injuries were reported.
April 14 2022, Gem State Processing Heyburn, East Idaho, USA
A plane crashed into an Idaho potato and food processing plant, killing the pilot, police said. It hit Gem State Processing in Heyburn in East Idaho at about 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday, city police said. The pilot was the only person in the plane and died during the crash, police said. None of the employees at the processing plant were injured.
April 19, 2022, Azure Standard, Dufur, Oregon USA
Organic food distributor Azure Standard lost its headquarters to a fire on April 19. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Azure Standard CEO David Stelzer stated that the headquarters was a total loss and that the company would have to make adjustments to operations and rebuild. No one was injured in the fire.
April 19, 2022 Nutrien Ag Solution, Leoti, Kansas USA
For at least the second time in 2022, a Nutrien Ag fertilizer plant caught fire, this time in the small Kansas town of Leoti. The fire broke out at 3:30 p.m. and residents within a half-mile radius of the plant were evacuated. Fire responders reported that the flames were “isolated to a forklift and non-hazardous chemicals.” No injuries were reported.
April 21,2022, General Mills, Covington, Georgia, USA
A twin-engine Cessna crashed into a General Mills plant in Covington, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. The plane came to rest in a remote section of the plant’s property where empty trailers are stored. According to police, the plane exploded on impact; a small series of explosions followed the crash as well. Two passengers were killed in the crash.
April 30, 2022 Perdue Farms, Chesapeake, Virginia USA
Fire broke out at a Perdue Farms grain processing and storage facility in Virginia around 8 p.m. The blaze was centered around a soybean-processing tank. The fire was contained within an hour. The fire had minimum impact on operations. No injuries were reported.
May 28, 2022. Forsman Farms, Stockholm Township, Minneapolis, USA
A massive fire in a small Minnesota township, about an hour west of Minneapolis, killed 200,000 chickens. The fire started around 10 p.m. on May 28 at Forsman Farms. A barn housing many thousands of chickens was burned to the ground. Forsman Farms is one of the largest egg producers in the country and sells more than 3 million eggs a day. The cause of the blaze is being investigated. No injuries were reported.
June 3, 2022, Wright County Egg Farm, HOWARD LAKE, Minnasota, USA
Massive flames burned down a barn with tens of thousands of chickens in Wright County.The fire started late Saturday night at Forsman Farms in Howard Lake, causing major damage. According to Forsman Farms website, the farm started in 1918, and now the fourth-generation family farm sells more than three million eggs a day to some of the nation’s largest retailers. The cause of the blaze is unknown at this time.
June 7, 2022 JBS Foods, Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Firefighters responded quickly to a blaze at a JBS Foods meat packing plant in Green Bay, on the evening of June 7. A small fire inside the plant’s meat processing area was controlled within 15 minutes, saving the entire facility. The fire is being blamed on heat from an auger in the processing area. No injuries were reported.
June 13, 2022. Festive Foods, Belmont, Wisconsin, USA
On June 13th, the Festive Foods frozen pizza plant in Belmont, WI caught fire. More than 70 firefighters were called to the scene, hailing from two dozen departments and four counties. Residents within a mile radius of the plant were advised to keep their windows and doors shut to protect from a dangerous amount of smoke. The fire started “in a compressor room for the refrigeration system while personnel were performing maintenance.” No injuries were reported.
August 31, 2022 – QC Poultry, Los Angeles, USA
QC Poultry Processing Plant in the City of Montobello Catches Fire Due to ‘Unknown’ Causes. The building sustained damage along with several of the company’s commercial vehicles.
CANADA Food Facility Fires and other incidents (2)
March 23,2022, Centre de Valorisation de l’Aliment de l’EstrieSherbrooke Montreal, Canada
Five hospitalized after explosion, major fire at food processing centre in Sherbrooke
May 22,2022 Rail Car Derailment, Ft. Macleod, Alberta, Canada
The derailment of a Canadian Pacific Railway freight train in southern Alberta resulted in the loss of 43 rail cars containing potash, a vital fertilizer ingredient. Some of the cargo was recovered. No injuries were reported. The cause of the derailment is still being investigated.
EUROPE Food Facility Fires (7)
March 15, 2022, MHP SE poultry producer bombed, Kyiv, Ukraine
MHP SE, a major poultry producer, said $8.5 million worth of frozen chickens was destroyed in a warehouse fire caused by shelling near Kyiv. The facility was the nation’s largest frozen-food store. Another 8,500 tons of poultry, worth more than $20 million, is at risk in the southern region, where blown-up roads and railways are limiting access to its facilities.
March 30th, 2022, Viciunai Food Warehouse, Bovary, Kyiv, Ukraine
More than 3,500 metric tons of food were destroyed in the bombing of surimi giant Viciunai’s warehouse near Kyiv, Ukraine, earlier this month, a spokesperson for the company told IntraFish. The logistics warehouse in Brovary, around 15 kilometers northwest of the Ukrainian capital, caught fire and burned down as a result of Russian shelling.
March 31st , 2022, Food warehouse bombed, Brovary, Ukraine,
One of Europe’s largest food storage facilities has been destroyed in Ukraine
50,000 tonnes of food destroyed. All food stores in Brovary were bombed on the same day. The Russian attacks deliberately destroyed food stocks destined for the whole of Ukraine.”
27th April 2022, Riverway Foods, Essex, United Kingdom
A large fire at a sausage factory tackled by 70 firefighters from across Essex and Hertfordshire has damaged 60% of the building.
26th September 2022, Rungis Produce Market, Paris, France
World’s largest produce market feeding millions near Paris catches fire. The fire brigade sent 130 firefighters and deployed 30 fire engines to deal with the “violent warehouse fire broke that out in the Chevilly-Larue sector,” the fire services reported. The cause of the blaze was unknown but will be investigated
The sprawling wholesale market is a veritable town unto itself, with more than 12,000 people working there and warehouses filled with fruit and vegetables, seafood, meats, dairy products and flowers from across France and around the world.
20 June 2022, Food Warehouse bombed, Odessa, Ukraine
KYIV (Reuters) – A food warehouse in the Black Sea port of Odesa was destroyed in a Russian missile attack on Monday but no civilians were killed, the Ukrainian military said.
12th July 2022 Bill Gates food depot fire – Picnic, Amsterdam, Netherlands
According to local reports, a massive fire that erupted on late Sunday devoured the facility offering climate-friendly food, such as meat products as well as alternative vegan meals. It is not yet known if the incident was the result of natural causes or linked to the protests by farmers. Picnic, an Amsterdam-based grocery delivery service, had secured €600M of investment in 2021, with the lion’s share offered by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Food Facility Fires in Australia
11th August, 2022, Goodman Fielder – Bakery, Moorebank Sydney
Goodman Fielder, a company that owns a range of products such as Helga’s, Mighty Soft, and Wonder, warned NSW customers may face a “shortage of products” in the aftermath of the fire. More than 70 firefighters, in 18 fire trucks, battled for more than three hours to extinguish the fire, which could be seen across the suburb. No injuries were reported. Investigations are continuing to determine what caused the blaze.
EDITOR: There is one campaign to shut down food supply. It is in the Ukraine where it seems a part of the Russian strategy to bring about food shortages. Outside of that we will just have to keep monitoring the situation.
