Fire on a potato assembly line damaged the McCain Foods potato processing plant in Portage la Prairie, Man. last weekend.
Company officials would not confirm estimates of the damage reported to be about $200,000 to the plant and equipment, and $60,000 to potato inventory.
The accident happened when a vat of grease, used to make the company’s Curly Fries, boiled over and caught fire. The grease proved a formidable opponent for fire crews. It burned for nearly two hours as Portage la Prairie emergency crews pumped fire-consuming foam and 27 dry chemical fire extinguishers onto the burning oil.
Company representatives say the cause of the fire is still under investigation. The burned fryer and its assembly line will remain closed for several days for cleanup and repairs. The plant remains open with all other processing lines in operation.
No injuries were reported.
