KCFD crews extinguish 2-alarm fire at former Arvin potato packaging building
ARVIN, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) — On Thursday afternoon, Kern County firefighters battled the flames from a 2-alarm fire at a former potato packing building in Arvin, said officials in a statement.
At 2:20 p.m. firefighters were called to a fire in a 7,500-square-foot building in the 1000 block of South Derby Street. Upon arrival, firefighters saw large amounts of smoke coming out from one side of the building.
Due to the combination of the fire's behavior, building size and construction type, a second alarm was requested, for more equipment and trucks, said officials.
The building was previously used for packaging potatoes, but is not in use at this time.
Firefighters arrived on scene and began investigating access points into the building to find the origin of the fire, and to find a water supply. Arvin police officers arrived shortly later and assisted in stretching hose lines and blocking traffic, to create a safe area for firefighters to work in.
Additional firefighters arrived and the department executed an aggressive strategy - while extinguishing the fire, personnel searched for anyone possibly inside. No one was found.
Crews remained on scene for at least two hours to complete an extensive overhaul to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.
The cause of the fire is undetermined. No injuries were reported.
Fire crews saved an estimated $340,000. An estimated $110,000 was lost.
PG&E, So Cal Gas and Arvin Public Works were also at the scene.
