Firefighters work to contain peanut warehouse blaze

Details: Lance Martin; News; 29 October 2024; 756

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Firefighters across the Roanoke Valley and Virginia were continuing to contain a blaze that broke out this morning at a peanut warehouse that adjoins the Hampton Farms Company Store in Garysburg on Highway 46.

As of this report there was no cause for the fire, which had broken through the roof of the warehouse. “When we got here it was a mess,” said Garysburg fire Chief Roy Bell. “We’re trying to get it contained.”

Severn Peanut Vice President J.P. Watson said it was unclear what caused the fire. He said the fire probably started around 9 a.m.

He said the warehouse is used to store peanuts right out of the field, also known as farm stock peanuts. “What they’re doing now is trying to keep it from getting to other parts of the building.”

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Watson said the company does not operate a shelling plant at the Garysburg facility. “We have a retail outlet here. We just do some packaging and things associated with the candy business here and store farmer stock peanuts.”

While damage estimates were not immediately clear, Watson said the company plans to rebuild. “We’ve got to have storage for peanuts. It will have to be rebuilt.”

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

Northampton County Emergency Management Coordinator Tony Burnette said there were no injuries reported.

He said Roanoke Rapids and Weldon fire departments responded from Halifax County and as of this report assistance from Rheasville and Davie had been requested.

Roanoke-Wildwood, Gaston, Garysburg, Jackson and Seaboard had responded from Northampton County and Northampton County EMS and emergency management were at the scene.

Greensville County firefighters were dispatched from Virginia, Burnette said.