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Winter Haven Fire Investigated

News Channel 8 photo by PAUL LAMISON

Flames could be seen for miles when Packaging Corp. Of America burned in Winter Haven on Monday.

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By CHIP OSOWSKI of News Channel 8 and BILLY TOWNSEND of The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 11, 2008

Updated: 02/11/2008 11:30 am

WINTER HAVEN – State fire investigators are examining the scene of a massive fire at Packaging Corp. of America.

Overnight, a team of 18 firefighters monitored hot spots at the business, which manufactured and stored cardboard boxes in the 25,000 square-foot facility. It's at 4980 Recker Highway, on the outskirts of Winter Haven.

The overnight crew poured about 180,000 gallons of water on the smoldering remains each hour, one firefighter said. At midmorning, firefighters were still pouring water on areas of flame from an aerial truck parked on the property of a sand mine plant across a freight rail line from the rear of the warehouse.

Freight rail traffic was halted as the fire burned, but it has begun rolling again, said Kristen Guira, a Polk County spokeswoman.

A large firewall between the warehouse that was destroyed and another warehouse leased by the Saddle Creek Corp. appeared to have functioned well, keeping the fire within PCA property.

Tom Patterson, Saddle Creek's senior vice president of warehouse operations, said his company is waiting for clearance to begin conducting business again. Patterson said it appears his company escaped significant harm.

The fire call came in at 5:28 p.m. Monday, and it took firefighters more than five hours to control the blaze.

Guira said gusty wind conditions hampered efforts to douse the blaze.

"The winds were blowing water back onto the firefighters," Guira said.

Damage is estimated at $21 million, Guira said. That would make the fire more destructive than last year's fire at the Precisionaire manufacturing plant in Bartow, which put dozens of people out of work.

No one was in the PCA building when the fire started and no injuries were reported.

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