Calif. Plastics Plant Fire Loss Put at $2.5 Million

Dec. 15--Fire investigators began Friday sifting through the burned rubble from Thursday's two-alarm fire at Tuff Stuff Products in Terra Bella.

The blaze, which sent a thick column of black smoke hundreds of feet into the air for more than an hour, consumed a number of plastic bundles and a 30-by-50-foot metal building before firefighters could bring it under control five hours after it started.

The loss has been put at $2.5 million to the structure and contents, but a good portion of the building was saved, County Battalion Fire Chief Mike Green said.

"We don't know what caused the fire," said lead investigator Capt. Joe Rosa Jr. of the Tulare County Fire Department.

Rosa said they had an idea of where the point of origin was but were unsure due to the state of the collapsed building.

"Because of the structure stability, we're not able to get in and determine the point of origin." However, Rosa said that an excavator will be used to move debris.

All of the workers at the plant escaped safely and no firemen were injured in the fire.

Though Rosa was unsure of the owners' future plans, Tuff Stuff worker Mario Vences said they would still be employed.

"The last thing we got told was to come in on Monday," said Vences, who worked on the washing line. According to Vences, some causes of the fire could be a piece of melted plastic or a machine malfunction.

According to Rosa, fire departments from several agencies, including the Farmersville Fire Department and Kings County Fire Department, sent out investigators. Green said he would expect a cause to be discovered by the first part of next week.

"We've been concentrating on trying to determine the origin and cause," said Rosa, a 16-year firefighter.

Green said the owners want to be left alone.

"The family doesn't want to be contacted by the media. They're devastated," said Green.

The fire which was called in at 12:52 p.m. on Thursday, was totally suppressed by 6 p.m. and required assistance from the Porterville Fire Department and CalFire.

"It was a stubborn fire, because of the product," said Green. "It wasn't an easy fire to put out."

Contact Emily Shapiro at 784-5000, ext. 1050, or on Twitter @ EmilyShapirogar.

Copyright 2012 - The Porterville Recorder, Calif.