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Warehouse Fire Damage Estimated At $21 Million

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

Published: February 13, 2008

Updated: 02/13/2008 12:14 am

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

Monday night, a team of 18 firefighters monitored hot spots at the 25,000-square-foot facility, where cardboard boxes were manufactured and stored. The business is 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 from an aerial truck parked across a freight rail line from the rear of the warehouse.
Freight rail traffic was halted as the fire burned, but it resumed late Tuesday, said Kristen Guira, a Polk County spokeswoman.

A large firewall between the burned facility and an adjacent warehouse appeared to have functioned well, containing the fire within the PCA property.

The adjacent warehouse, leased by the Saddle Creek Corp., apparently escaped significant harm, said Tom Patterson, senior vice president of warehouse operations.

The company was awaiting clearance Tuesday to resume operations, Patterson said.

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 windy conditions hampered efforts.

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

Damage is estimated at $21 million, Guira said. That would make the blaze 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.

Reporter Billy Townsend can be reached at (863) 284-1409 or wtownsend@tampatrib.com.

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